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“How were you able to afford this?” My friend asked. “A second apartment at these ridiculously high home prices?” When he finished talking, his curious smile turned into an envious frown that he tried to cover up.
“Well…” I started slowly.
“I…”
“I did, or should I say didn’t do, a lot of things you’ll likely consider impossible to avoid.”
“I resisted buying my son a new Lego set every time he asked. I resisted this, even when I sincerely wanted to surprise him.”
“I said no to a lot of restaurant dinners, even when I didn’t want to cook.”
“I didn’t visit Dubai, Bali, Egypt even when my wife enthusiastically showed me pictures of your trips there, secretly hoping that I’d say let’s go.”
“I still use the laptop I purchased back in 2017, even though it now only works when it’s plugged in.”
“I kept wearing my shoes even when they were a bit torn.”
“I don’t buy a new smartphone every year.”
“I don’t buy t-shirts that cost more than $15.”
“I don’t have Netflix, Hulu, Apple, or any other streaming subscription. In fact, I barely have any subscriptions besides water and electricity.”
“While I’m tempted, I resist buying new things when my salary hits my bank account. My default behavior is not buying.”
“But probably the main reason is that I was able to keep living a below-average lifestyle even when I started earning an above-average salary.”
“I was able to do this for more than 10 years. And I still keep doing this.”
“I still keep doing this despite the ridiculous consumerism everyone is so obsessed with.”
“I learned the hard way that tying my happiness to material possessions is the surest way to unhappiness.”
Actually, I didn’t say any of that.
Hey there, sorry to interrupt…
Since you’ve come this far, it seems that you are passionate about pursuing depth over distraction. I am too! And while what I’m about to say next probably won’t quite excite you, I have to say it…
Look, this is members-only content.
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See, I digest acres of complex ideas from various resources and morph my findings into straight-to-the-point book summaries, thought-provoking articles, and practical courses. The main goal is not only to help you understand the underlying concepts from badass ideas. But, also, to help you stay curious, inspired, and well-educated. Above all, though, I want to help you transition from a passive online consumer to an active, mindful go-getter with a sense of purpose.
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