Here is your Five-Bullet Monday
A quote I am pondering:
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman
What makes you come alive? For each one of us, it is something different. What I don’t think we consider enough is “that thing” could be what someone else needs, and simply doing what makes us come alive can make a big difference in those people’s lives.
Two questions I am asking myself:
What if?
How do I release my superpowers to tackle the what-ifs?
“What if …….” is such a short but powerful question, both to the positive (blue sky, unlimited etc.), but also to negative (risks, downside) that we need to consider. It also takes some mental effort to think through the “what-ifs”, which is why we don’t do it enough. Once you get a couple of “what-ifs” captured, then think about what you can do about them. That might be your superpower that you are about to unleash, which makes it very exciting!
A book I am reading:
The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz
I listened to this book again with my daughter on the last leg of our camper van trip. It is truly an excellent biography from a real hero in the philanthropy space and someone I greatly admire. Jacqueline journeys you through her life, from her first donation (the blue sweater) to the massively impacting microfinance projects her company Acumen has launched. It also talks about her first-hand experiences with Rwanda before and after the genocide, which is very moving.
My favourite podcast this week:
Canadian Investor - Life after pro sports, DeFi, NFTs and Bitcoin with Courtney Stephen
This podcast provides a great introduction to bitcoin, decentralized finance (DeFi) and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). I got so much out of it that I listened to it twice, and I am going to make some notes. I highly recommend it for those that are interested in this space.
Hugh-Tips
Measure your net worth monthly
Just as budgeting and controlling spend are critical success factors for building personal wealth, so is measuring your net worth each month. After all, creating a monthly surplus each month is part of building your net worth. Calculating your net worth is simple and can be done with a quick online check on your bank accounts and investments. It is also good to check how your investments are performing and whether you are on track with your financial goals. The table below shows a simple way of doing that:
My highlights from the prior week
Getting out of the car and travelling by foot and pedal power
This last week, I have made an effort to use the car less and get out on foot or bike. It has been fantastic, especially here in Brisbane, with many dedicated foot and cycle paths. The joy of commuting for free, enjoying the fresh air, getting some exercise, and not polluting, all bundled together, feels too good to be true. Next time you are about to jump in your car and go somewhere, think about how you might do it differently.
My challenge to you for this week
Try intermittent fasting
There has been a lot of science in recent years that has demonstrated the benefits of intermittent fasting. This can take several forms, but the one I highly recommend is a 16-hour water-only-fast each day, with an eight-hour eating window. Essentially this means you allow 16 hours to pass from when you have your dinner to eating breakfast. So, if you eat dinner at 6 pm, your first meal the next day is 10 am. You might be worrying that you will pass out from hunger, but it is easier than you think, and your body will thank you. This time with no eating allows your fat eating hormones to go to work, which, coupled with no calorie intake, will improve that waistline.
Have an awesome week