Welcome back to the Saturday Success Series email!
In this edition we’ll have:
Five to Focus On: A quote, stock, book, show & a beer.
Master Yourself: Constant reframing
Master Your Money: Wealth is what you don’t see
And of course…
The Weekly Special: 8 Things They Don’t Teach in School, But Should
The goal here is maximum value, so let’s get to it.
Oh, by the way, if you’re feeling generous, please share this newsletter with a friend.
Five to Focus on:
In a noisy world, it’s hard to know what’s good out there. Let me help.
Quote to ponder: “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood.” - Erik Larson
Stock to consider: Apecoin (crypto)
“In 2022, the people behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club established a cryptocurrency called Bored Ape Coin. It's a platform with 10,000 tokens that are not fungible (NFTs). This currency is one of the greatest alternatives to acquire right now.” Vremaroiu Alin
Disclaimer- this is not financial advice, I am not a financial advisor, and you should always do your own research.
Book to read: Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
This was the best book I read in 2020. I expected it to be decent, I just didn’t expect it to be so good. It has some great stories and even better advice for living well. And I like that phrase he uses- outlaw wisdom.
Show to enjoy: The Boys on Amazon
The 3rd season just came out and what a f*cking wild ride (as are the first 2 seasons). Described by Rotten Tomatoes as “bracingly visceral and wickedly smart”, I really can’t sum it up any better.
Beer to sip: Boysen Tha Hood from 3 Sons
Because did you see the name? But seriously, this is a highly rated beer, not just a highly rated sour beer. And also, it’s tough to find imperial sours.
Master Yourself
Constant reframing is useful for life. The idea behind reframing is that you place a picture or an idea into a new frame of mind.
You want to be able to see possibilities and opportunities ahead of you. You want to live a positive, full life. This requires new mental frames.
Keep reframing negatives as opportunities for growth until it becomes a habit. It takes time and effort, as all good things do, but it’s worth it.
Instead of “why me? how could I be so stupid?” lines of questioning, start asking “what can I learn, how can I grow, how can I spin this bullshit into a positive?”
I was fully prepared to lose my job at the height of Covid (luckily I didn’t) and so I was mentally preparing to say “this is the push from the nest I needed!”. I’ve spent 10 years growing up at my current company and would never willingly leave so I needed to reframe this bewildering concept as a positive, the chance to spread my wings.
My dad is my best friend and thinking about him being gone is an awful thought. But even that, I’m preparing myself now for the reframing that’ll come. I’m reframing this inevitable loss as a chance to finally become a true adult. There’s an old adage about not being a real adult until your parents are gone. I’ll eventually get to apply all the lessons he taught me and blossom into the real adult I’m meant to be. Then hopefully grace my kids with the same gift.
When I broke my ankle, about as badly as one can break an ankle, in a violent car crash in 2018, I was laid up for 3 months. Instead of getting in my feelings, I used it as an opportunity to slow down and focus on my health, both physical and mental. I also used the extra time to connect with friends and family as well as be vulnerable. I needed a lot of help early on. It was actually a great 3 months.
Always seek to reframe your worst moments. Don’t let anything define you, except you.
Master Your Money
“Spending money to show people how much money you have is the fastest way to have less money.” — Morgan Housel
My parents are “millionaires next door”.
They both drive used cars. They live in the same house they bought in 1983. They take 1 or 2 nice vacations per year. They wear clothes from Boscov’s. No jewelry.
No one would know they’re wealthy. They’re not flashy.
What they are is happy and stress free. And they sleep well at night.
Weekly Special:
8 Things They Don’t Teach in School, But Should
Our current schooling system is incredibly outdated. It’s meant to teach you to be a cog in the wheel of Big Business’s moneymaking machine.
I want to show you 8 things that you should’ve learned a lot more about. I’ll lay them out and then give you resources to start your REAL educational journey.
Post school learning is the most significant learning you’ll do. This is the learning that sets you apart.
I was lucky enough to have parents who were big fans of educating us outside of the normal public school scope. I learned about personal finance and the stock market as early as 10 years old. Be that kind of parent for your kids.
#1: Money Management
If you don’t manage your money, your money will manage you. In other words, you’ll be broke.
In school, you learn calculus which is all well and good for a physics major, but for most of us- a little personal finance would go a long way.
Imagine teaching high school students about tracking their expenses, budgeting, how debt works, how credit works, etc. Maybe they wouldn’t find themselves in this insane student loan crisis?
And yes, some will argue this is your parents job. But we can’t forget that many kids don’t have that luxury.
#2: Stock Market Investing
Most of the people I grew up with are too scared to invest in the market. They think it’s risky, because they don’t understand that savings accounts are riskier. It’s losing you money every year (inflation). You have to invest. The stock market is one of the best (and easiest) ways to do that.
Now, don’t go trying to pick individual stocks, that’s a losers game. ETFs and mutual funds should be your primary focus. I’m going to write an article soon about which fields I’m focusing on for the future.
#3: Human Psychology
Not just facts about ‘who is the father of (insert subgenre)’, but actual insights that you could use.
Here’s a psychology fact: Beginnings and ends are easier to remember than middles. Now, how does this fact help you? What does it pertain to in your life?
Now that you know that fact, could it help you when creating your presentations at work? How about writing your school essays? Can it focus your attention to where it matters? See how that works.
Also, psychology can help us learn how to think better. New mental models are incredible tools. Understanding feedback, incentives, anchoring, inversion and so many more, will improve your understanding of the world around you and how to make the most of it.
#4: Real Estate
How to buy a house, owning rental property, owning commercial property. There’s so much to know! I would prefer to focus on the first two items myself. But who knows, commercial real estate may be in the future. Though I would only invest in food and entertainment venues.
Anyway, most young people know nothing about any of this. They don’t understand that their home isn’t an investment. It adds to your net worth, sure, but it’s (almost) completely illiquid. They don’t understand how to find rental properties that will turn a profit. They don’t understand all the players and moving pieces in a real estate transaction.
Real estate can make you rich, in fact, it’s one of the few ways to actually get rich. But it’s not easy. If it were, everyone would be in the game.
#5: Sales & Marketing
This comes down to two things. How to sell and how to market what you sell.
Or you could simply sell someone else’s product and let their marketing team worry about it. Or market what someone else sells and let them worry about the selling.
Either way, learning these 2 skills doesn’t require a hefty price tag. You can 100% teach yourself how to be a good salesperson and how to market products and/or services effectively.
As you learn, remember this: We buy with our emotions and justify with our logic.
#6: Crypto
It’s the future, yes, but it’s hard to understand right now. I won’t pretend I even understand it fully. In fact, I don’t understand it well enough to even bother trying to invest in it right now. So I’ll be taking my own advice here and watching the learn it now video. If you understand crypto and can explain it in layman’s terms, email me, please: caitmackcs@gmail.com
#7: Real History
We learn historical facts, sure. But again, we’re seeking insights. Let’s learn real history and see what lessons we can pull from it.
For example, George Washington’s teeth weren’t made from wood. They were made from slaves teeth. Let’s use real history to deeply understand exactly how bad slavery is and how it began. When we know these things it helps us avoid repeating the past.
Learning real history also helps you understand the world you live in right now. We all know this world can seem absolutely bonkers. Knowing our story as a species makes it easier to find your place within that story.
#8: Philosophy
Philosophy can teach us about finding fulfillment and living a good life. We too often chase happiness, only to be left sad and empty. You can avoid this fate by learning from the Stoics.
Study the Stoics. Philosophy can help you master your mind and your self. Ego is the enemy, as Ryan Holiday says. Philosophy and psychology can be studied together for best effect.
Thanks for reading and if you found this valuable, please share with someone who couse it. See you next Saturday!