Lessons From the Road
Memento From Travels [17]:
Hi friends,
I am finally back in Austin, although (hopefully) not for long after what felt like three months but actually was only two weeks. I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss Austin, the warmth (literally and metaphorically) of this wonderful city. So glad to be back to build some roots and get to know more friends in the city.
I also got COVID from Hawaii, which didn’t manifest fully until I was a few days deep in Seattle. I didn’t have crazy symptoms but I did have bad body pains and a slight fever. I am feeling much better now and in the spirit of not missing a single week of newsletter, here we are.
Reflect, Reset, Restart.
Two weeks of constantly on my feet give me aaaaaa lot of time and space to reflect. And the core learnings boil down to three pillars.
1. Spending is necessary
As a loyal disciple of the FI movement and a diligent follower of the Financial Diet, Money with Katie Show and Graham Stephan, I got carried away with the whole extreme frugality, paying yourself first, and minimizing my ‘want’ purchases. Honestly, it’s an endless road because once I plunge deep into that mindset, it’s hard to draw the line of when I should allow certain purchases and when I shouldn’t.
I have found this podcast episode from Money with Katie Show helpful. It helps put myself into a practical headspace of when I should realistically stop worrying about money. A concept I also learned is there are always two types of people in the Personal Finance world, the “Woah” and the “Go”. The “Woah” person is the frugal, disciplined, serious about money gal/guy who examines every purchase and its value. The “Go” person is the Happy-Go-Lucky one who loves to have fun in the present and is not as concerned about the future. For a long time, I was the only person in my life who has an influence on personal finance, saying “Woah” every time. The past two weeks exposed me to many people with different spending habits and just when I was about to say Woah, there are people with Go mentality who knocked some sense into me and taught me that, spending is not that scary.
Worst case, I couldn’t live to the old age I hope to do, where will all my savings go? Would it be beneficial at least partially to spend money on the present so I have a good living experience now. Deferred satisfaction might not always be the best option when the future is uncertain.
2. Experiences breed creativity
Following off the previous point, as I inevitably spend more money and see new places, eat new food creations and drinks, take in the architecture and design of novel destinations, it feeds back into my creativity loop. Ideas flow into my head, and I was able to be more deliberate and carefree with my writings and creative works.
If you are an artist, check this article out which also confirms what I’m finding and suggests artists try new things.
I talked about the Chihuly Glass & Garden in Seattle on my IG a bit already, but this gallery was where I read about Chihuly’s creative process. I love that I can see his dedication, undivided attention and assurance when he’s working on his glasses design. His non-judgmental and prolific way of creating art inspired me to do the same with my writings:
“And I’m not inspired, cause that can happen very easily. Then they start to get mundane. On the other hand, if I start making drawings that I know how to do already and if I can go fast enough, they start to get really good.”
and this
“At the end of the day, the public makes their choice as to whether or not the work is important. I’m less concerned with those who write about it, than I am about the public and how they feel about it.”
3. Importance of sharing your voices
Inspired by a recent conversation with a mentor at work, where I asked her about the usual expectations of a manager. Is it healthy to have expectations for your leader? And I got my answer.
I have always appreciated vulnerability and open sharing, whether that’s to help others professionally or personally and have found my best friends to be those who are just as willing to do that. I have found that sharing my experiences can one, give others the permission to share theirs and two, help myself navigate my own situations better now that I have more information.
My favorite writings of all time have been Austin Kleon’s Show Your Work!, Chanel Miller’s Know My Name, Sarah Wood and Caroline Cala’s essays. All of whom unflinchingly share and advocate for open discussion of the human’s experiences, their flaws and learnings. One of the best things about running this newsletter is having people text me and say they can relate to what I write, and that it has helped them felt less lonely.