December 9th, 2023: Greetings from Austin, Texas. I’m back in the US. We moved this week so I didn’t have a ton of time to write. But I ended up watching this fascinating video from Ali Abdaal and it inspired me to drop some last-minute thoughts. Since he’s been one of my biggest supporters, I figured it would be nice to write up some thoughts and also encourage you to
Loved this Paul, thanks. Also made me smile because Deri and I were having this conversation just yesterday. As we were both at Oxford and he's an ex-Bain consultant we know a lot of people who appear to be choosing the money path. We started leaving money on the table over a decade ago, and the money path feels almost incomprehensible to us now. But it's still the one held in high esteem by society because we tend to assess and measure success by job title, salary, and material possessions. I really like that more people are starting to talk about different measures of life success. Actually not only talk about, but actively choose.
Ahhh haha I was just scrolling through Substack and came across this - missed it when you first published it. Thank you so much for the kind words and the free promo :)
This is super timely, as I just quit a job that wasn't fulfilling anymore. I initially took it to learn more and to make some extra money while I built my business, but it hasn't felt good for a long time and I finally got the courage to hit send on my resignation email on Friday.
I hosted a dinner party with 10+ friends last night and we spent much of the night discussing the idea of "losing your edge." I shared your newsletter #232 in which you invite people to wonder if losing your edge could be the best thing that ever happens to you.
I was reminded of this quote of yours: "the longer you spend on a path that isn’t yours, the longer it takes to find a path that is."
I love your work. This one resonated deeply too. Thanks for sharing!
100p. all good convo though! I find that understanding differing opinions on this helps me a) clarify my own stance and b) reminds me of how far I've come personally within my own core set of beliefs. did not always used to think this way, as I know you didn't either. really grateful to have other people mirroring my values back to me and forging the path before I can put language to it myself
Loved this Paul, thanks. Also made me smile because Deri and I were having this conversation just yesterday. As we were both at Oxford and he's an ex-Bain consultant we know a lot of people who appear to be choosing the money path. We started leaving money on the table over a decade ago, and the money path feels almost incomprehensible to us now. But it's still the one held in high esteem by society because we tend to assess and measure success by job title, salary, and material possessions. I really like that more people are starting to talk about different measures of life success. Actually not only talk about, but actively choose.
Ahhh haha I was just scrolling through Substack and came across this - missed it when you first published it. Thank you so much for the kind words and the free promo :)
ha thanks - inspired by your continuous evolution - i learn a ton from you too!
This is super timely, as I just quit a job that wasn't fulfilling anymore. I initially took it to learn more and to make some extra money while I built my business, but it hasn't felt good for a long time and I finally got the courage to hit send on my resignation email on Friday.
I hosted a dinner party with 10+ friends last night and we spent much of the night discussing the idea of "losing your edge." I shared your newsletter #232 in which you invite people to wonder if losing your edge could be the best thing that ever happens to you.
I was reminded of this quote of yours: "the longer you spend on a path that isn’t yours, the longer it takes to find a path that is."
I love your work. This one resonated deeply too. Thanks for sharing!
thank you charlotte! how did the convo go? I imagine some strong hesitation from some?
100p. all good convo though! I find that understanding differing opinions on this helps me a) clarify my own stance and b) reminds me of how far I've come personally within my own core set of beliefs. did not always used to think this way, as I know you didn't either. really grateful to have other people mirroring my values back to me and forging the path before I can put language to it myself
I loved Ali's life update video.
I remember, as far back as a child, saying I'd rather have a small house/apartment and be happy than a big house and be unhappy.
Same thing with my jobs. I've always gravitated towards happiness and fulfillment over money.