She took me to an auction and instructed me not to move, nod my head or even say a word.
Going once…going twice… sold!
Just like that, we lost out on what could’ve been our future home. Actually, the house sold for over $100k more than what my mom was willing to pay for it. It went for 20% above her max bid.
I didn’t understand.
I was 12 years old at the time. And as soon as the hammer dropped, I immediately turned to her in disbelief. She met the bewildered look in my eyes with hers and started laughing. Truth be told, she was a little confused too.
There were plenty of houses in the area selling for…
Don’t let anyone call you boring ever again
Do you ever feel like you are boring?
When so much of our identity is social, being boring or even seen as boring can have a seriously negative impact on how we live our lives. It affects how people treat us and it can damage our sense of self-worth.
Sure, we’ve all been told not to care what others think. And while that might be helpful, I’ve yet to meet anyone who truly doesn’t care. There are plenty of people who just pretend not to.
For those of us who struggle with the issue of being boring, are we really…
It might be time to read them again
Great books have ideas that tend to stick with you long after you finish them. I can’t always remember where an idea originated from but lately, there are three books I just can’t stop thinking about.
1. Antifragile by Nassim Taleb
This book took me far longer to read than I would like to admit but it was worth it. The concepts discussed have given me a better framework to identify asymmetric payoffs and non-linearities in life.
The concept of antifragility is a powerful one.
Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better. …
You could try taking this approach
I like to keep things practical.
If you want to read more books but can’t seem to find the time, this approach could do wonders for you.
And don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to lock your phone away or uninstall every social media app.
Ditch the ceremony of reading
Often when we think about making time to read, we have a specific scenario in mind.
For me, I just imagine myself picking up a nicely bound paperback, curling up in a comfy chair, and reading in complete silence. Maybe I even have a nice cup of coffee by my side.
Heck, maybe…
You don’t always have to be better off to reap the benefits
Are you tired of people telling you to “stop comparing yourself with others”?
As a general statement, it is pretty meaningless. Often comparison is a tool that allows us to live better lives. Yet, we regularly hear about how it is stealing our joy — it can.
But comparison can be the source of progress. In many situations, we are better off comparing. Even if you find yourself on the sucker end of it, here are a few situations where you stand to benefit more than you lose.
We compare to learn from others
I believe in modeling the success of others.
The person ahead of…
It’s rarely ever the same experience
When is the audiobook experience better than reading?
The obvious advantage of audiobooks is that someone else does the reading for you. So while you listen, you can either sit down, rest your eyes and relax…or do just about anything else.
Here are 3 occasions when I have found the audiobook offers a superior experience.
When Mundane Moments Turn Into Moments of Joy
I love listening to audiobooks and podcasts whenever I go to the gym.
I know hardcore gym-goers who like to feel the burn will disagree. But I like taking the attention off the workout. Instead, I prefer a distraction. …
Knowing when to use them is another
It was an evening like any other.
My partner and I were slouched on the couch watching Parks and Recreation. Mid-episode, she turned abruptly towards me. Trying to hide the smirk on her face, she said,
You know…we’re pretty average people.
Then she sat in silence…
She watched me squirm as I tried to process this internally. My inferiority complex was tingling. Nobody knows how to push your buttons better than the people you love, right?
What I didn’t understand was why she said it with such pride.
As if she had accepted her identity while I was fighting mine.
…
Try doing this if you want a unique reading experience
This was something I realized after finishing college and professional exams.
I’ve read a ton of textbooks, academic papers, self-help, and non-fiction. Decades of reading in school, college, and work got me stuck in a bad reading habit.
I would skim and devour information as fast as I could. There were books I read cover to cover, even when I hated them. Because I had to. I’m sure you can relate.
I would hop from book to book without truly reflecting on what each text was trying to tell me. …
As someone who went to business school, these books offered a refreshing perspective.
I’ve always wanted to run my own business.
Despite being Asian European, I somehow bought into the American dream.
What can I say? Hollywood does a great job of shaping our hopes and dreams. I wanted to be a self-made man — a multi-billionaire founder of a multi-national corporation that employs thousands of employees.
Okay, maybe I was a little misguided.
Today, that same dream would be a nightmare — an endless stream of stress and responsibility. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’d rather make a thousand times less, do something I love, and manage zero employees.
So what…
Your financial health doesn’t have to affect your mental health
Should you invest everything you have in an S&P500 index tracker fund or go all-in on crypto?
I think a lot of people have been asking themselves this question recently.
It seems the biggest rewards go to the people who take the biggest risks. But so do the biggest losses.
All or nothing investing can kill both your financial and mental health.
If you are constantly checking your portfolio every 5 minutes and worrying about your investments plummeting to the point where you can’t sleep at night, you’re probably doing something wrong.
Are you over-leveraged, overexposed, or overtrading?
Kevin Lee
I write to provide a different perspective one article at a time. Topics include self-improvement, lifestyle, and personal finance. Former investment analyst.
