What's up friend,

MLK said, “The ability to lead a happy life is made, not found.”

As we kick off MLK weekend, I hope you are advancing towards your happy life.

Speaking of which, is the relentless pursuit of achievement making you happy?

In honor of my 4,698 word Post-Achievement manifesto, on January 17th I’m hosting a salon (fancy, I know!) on this unique life philosophy.

🎧 In this week's podcast, we ask: Are you a post-achievement professional?​

Are you a Post-Achievement Professional?

An Investment Banker takes a trip down to Mexico where he meets a local fisherman.

The banker brings the fresh fish back to his villa and it's the most delicious fish he's ever tasted.

The banker comes back the next morning to see the fisherman with a question.

"Why do you only fish 2 hours a day?" he asks.

"I only need to fish that much. Once I'm done, I go take a nap, play with my kids, jam on my guitar and have a glass of wine with my friends," replies the fisherman.

The banker is besides himself. The fisherman was sitting on an untapped goldmine of fish (and profits).

He dug deep into his MBA experience and put forth an idea:

The fisherman gives him a befuddled look. "But what would I do with all that money," he asks.

"You could fish for two hours, take a nap, jam on the guitar, play with your kids and have a glass of wine with your friends every single day!"

Here are this week's top reads:

// one

What do you actually want?

4 minutes | The Adulting Professor
​

“Most people end up having mid-life crises because it takes them a long time to realize they are living a life that they never chose.” I’d never heard of the concept of hollow beliefs — it’s powerful to see what's behind your deeply held assumptions.

→ Read the post​

// two

How I rewired my brain in six weeks

8 minutes | BBC
​

We know that meditation and exercise are beneficial for mental health. But did you know they can boost your brain’s ability to structurally re-wire itself via a process called neuroplasticity?

→ Read the article​

// three

In Silicon Valley, millionaires who don't feel rich

7 minutes | The New York Times
​

"You’re nobody here at $10 million." Keeping up with the Joneses has costs beyond money. And when you conflate achievement and worth, you can feel like a working-class millionaire at any wealth level.

→ Read the article​

Below the Fold
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LAST WEEK'S MOST READ

• ​David Beckham and the dark side of fame (RadReads, 674 clicks)
• ​Write a brag document (Julia Evans, 356 clicks)

And finally, I fully support the podcast police.

With gratitude,

Khe

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