Hi friends,
Here is your weekly dose of Arman’s Antics coming to you live from Austin, TX. A list of what I’m learning and exploring. Hello to the 3 new subscribers receiving this for the first time (up to 55 total). Please consider forwarding this along to one friend if you think they would find it useful.
What I’m writing
I published my second article since starting the Write of Passage (WOP) course. Titled “If you think life is short, you’re doing it wrong.” It has gotten some great feedback so far. It’s a short read (less than 5 minutes) so have a quick look if you want to see what all the hype is about. I make the case against the lie that life is short and prove it with a trip to the dentist.
What I’m listening to
Old podcast interviews of Derek Sivers. He is one of my favorite people I follow on the internet. This is why. Here is a “thank you” email he used to send to his customers after they placed an order with the business he started CDBABY.com:
This simple email took him 20 minutes to write and led to millions of dollars of free publicity. Genius. If you’ve never listened to him before, start with this 2015 pod he did with Tim Ferriss.
Book I’m revisiting
Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris. This was originally recommended to me by Tim Ferriss. I am realizing 75% of my bookshelf contains his recommendations. Thanks Timbo! Here is a brief passage that I loved:
As I gazed at the surrounding hills, a feeling of peace came over me. It soon grew to a blissful stillness that silenced my thoughts. In an instant, the sense of being a separate self - and “I” or a “me” - vanished. Everything was as it had been - the cloudless sky, the brown hills sloping to an inland sea, the pilgrims clutching their bottles of water - but I no longer felt separate from the scene, peering out at the world from behind my eyes. Only the world remained.
If you have never taken a psychedelic before then this probably sounds like new-age nonsense. But this explained an experience I had on the beaches of El Salvador perfectly. I’ll let you connect the dots.
My Personal Finances
I want to start opening up more about my money situation because I’m tired of it being a taboo subject. I’m a personal finance nerd so I like talking about this stuff. I am on pace to earn $105,000 in 2022 (pre-tax). My only income source (for now) is my salary + commission from my day job as a BDR (business development representative) at a tech startup - Kevel. It may sound like a lot to some people and it may sound like nothing to others. No shame! I will continue to share updates to keep myself accountable.
Random Thought
As I walked through the antique shop with my fiancé this past weekend I couldn’t help but think to myself, “There are so many things that I do not want.”
That’s all I have for you this week. I would love to hear from you. Please give me feedback on what you liked. What you hated. I’m most active on Twitter.
Have a terrific Tuesday, friends!
Cheers,
Arman