Note: This is an email I sent back in November of 2022 that is one of my favorite emails on how you can end up successful but still miserable (there’s some good lessons in here, so I hope you take it to heart)
One of the sub-Reddits I browse a few times a week is called “FatFIRE”.
It’s basically a bunch of people who want to retire early…
But they don’t want to retire early by pinching pennies and living on $30k a year.
They want to live like kings, and still retire early.
So a lot of the people in that sub-Reddit are entrepreneurs who have sold businesses for millions of dollars…
Others are high-earners like lawyers, doctors and tech peeps that make $500k to a few million a year…
So it’s a lot of people living “the dream”.
They’re taking $50k vacations in the Maldives…
They have second homes in Aspen…
They have personal chefs cooking all their meals…
So it’s a good life.
And it’s a life that most people would kill for.
But despite everything they have…
At least once a week there’s a post in that group from someone who worked their ass off, made a ton of money, and they’re still unhappy.
This happens over and over again.
And having been in this situation myself after I sold my first business in 2017, here’s my take on it…
If you’re trying to get rich to make your parents proud of you…
Or to impress some woman…
Or to prove everyone wrong that picked on you in highschool…
You ain’t gonna be happy.
I can guarantee you that.
Even if you do get rich, it won’t change anything about how you feel about yourself.
Cause you’re not doing it for you…
You’re doing it for someone else.
And that’s a hollow feeling.
This is why I’m such a big advocate of going after the things that YOU want.
Cause what YOU want might be very different from what your parents want for you…
Or what society wants for you…
I have a friend in Ohio who spent the last 7 years of his life going to school to be a dentist.
And now that he’s successful, his family always brags about him…
They tell their friends how well he’s doing…
And show pictures of his million dollar house…
Which all sounds good on the surface…
But I know him personally…
And he’s fucking miserable.
Seriously.
He hates being a dentist.
He wakes up every morning dreading going into the office.
But he feels like he can’t get out.
He’s got student loans up the wazoo…
And a bunch of people relying on him.
So he’s stuck.
And as sad of a story as my buddy’s is…
It illustrates the point I want to make.
And that’s this…
In the end, you want to win YOUR game.
Not your parents game…
Or society’s game…
But YOUR game.
That means doing what YOU want…
Living how YOU want…
And going after what’s meaningful to YOU…
That’s the key.
That’s how you have a good life.
It’s not from chasing shit that will make everyone else happy.
It’s from going after what you want.
That’s a simple idea…
But it’s one that will change your life if you follow it.
So keep it in mind.
And enjoy your Wednesday,
– Justin
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