T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 5
Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #5!
Here are some things I really like and that you might too.
Finance Articles
Is “middle class” real? – A very thought provoking post from Abigail on the concept of middle class, with a nice long comments thread too!
Are We Happier When We’re Uncomfortable? – “Getting into any healthy kind of habit can be uncomfortable but, once you truly make a habit and feel bad when you skip it, then you’re using this discomfort in two ways.” An awesome post from Brad, growth comes from discomfort.
Video
This guy is rad and obviously doesn’t let his condition stop him from living boldly. If you’re not falling and failing sometimes you’re probably not trying hard enough. And there’s some epic falls here.
Who’s Inspired Me
Nirmal “Nims” Purja just set a new record for the shortest amount of time to climb the 14 highest peaks in the world, all of which are over 8,000 meters. He completed the task in a mind blowing 6 months 6 days.
If you’re not familiar with high altitude mountaineering you may not fully appreciate what goes in to climbing just one of these mountains. The logistics of even getting there, the time to acclimatize, and the actual climbing which is incredibly dangerous and hard. I’ve climbed a few mountains that come close in difficulty to an 8000 meter peak, but still fall shy. I know the suffering and physical toll involved and it seems inhuman to me that he could do this 14 times in six months. He’s now a mountaineering legend.
You can read more about his journey here.
What I’m Grateful For
Bikes. One of the best machines ever invented. A simple and clean tool for a better body and mind. And pretty handy for getting around too.
Lyrically Speaking
Gotta do what you can just to keep your love alive
Trying not to confuse it with what you do to survive
In ’69 I was twenty-one and I called the road my own
I don’t know when that road turned onto the road I’m on
From “Running On Empty“, by Jackson Browne
Holy shit, this guy… One of the best songwriters in history, plain and simple. In four simple lines he nails the plight of the defeated and distraught middle age dreamer, stuck in a job they hate and wondering how they got there.
Let’s break these 4 lines down
Gotta do what you can just to keep your love alive – if you’re lucky enough to have that life partner, that should be priority #1
Trying not to confuse it with what you do to survive – even if you love your job it’s not the same as the love of another person
In ’69 I was twenty-one and I called the road my own – once I was young and everything was possible
I don’t know when that road turned onto the road I’m on – now, fuuuck… how did I get here?
As Bruce Springsteen said about Browne’s songs “these are the songs the Eagles wish they wrote”. Yeah, no kidding.
So if you’re running on empty and hating your job and/or career choice, hang in there. Financial independence can set you free.
Miscellaneous
Is ditching meat a “game-changer” for your health? – the popular new vegan documentary from James Cameron isn’t exactly based on solid, data-driven science, as Peter Attia explains.
Thinking about death: High neural activity is linked to shorter lifespans – well this isn’t what I wanted to hear….
One Hundred Years Ago, Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity Baffled the Press and the Public
I have always loved Jackson Browne. Way back when I was 21 and called the road my own, I played his cassette tape (!!) more than any other in my collection. Dang, that guy could WRITE (unique voice and style, too). Seems we have similar music tastes (Pink Floyd also comes to mind…)
I had a few of his releases on cassette as well. I like lots of music but classic rock is a sweet spot.
Thanks for the mention!
You’re welcome!
Everyone will always pick on plant based diets for one reason or another, debating or challenging a video is the new SEO clickbait. The amount of Tesla Cybertruck videos is an example LOL
As for the diet, well I eat a plant based diet now but don’t expect anyone else to do the same. What I do expect them to do is understand the impact of their food choices on the environment. Realize what the food they are eating does to their body. Lastly, please look at the ethical actions of big corporate food systems. So in the end, choose wisely as you would in all things in Life.
Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for another good blog post 🙂 ~ Cheers
I don’t have a dog in the diet fight, I think we’ll get to the point where diets will be customized based on gut biome, and DNA/genetics. Some companies are already trying this but the science isn’t there yet. And cool, a Canuck just wished me Happy Thanksgiving!
here’s your dose of controversy. the dim-witted and short sighted twitterverse has turned some peleton bike ad into their mortal enemy. you can look it up but a dude gives his wife one for jesus’ birthday which comes on christmas this year. she rides the thing for a year and makes a habit and feels less good when she doesn’t do the workout. that’s the voluntary discomfort relation to your post. the world wanted to make it like a man wanted his mate to lose weight or blah blah blah. i saw it was she took the thing and made a very positive impact and a healthy habit.
all that being said i would never buy one of those silly things.
I think you might have intended to put this on the healthcare post but that sucks for that guy. Try to do something nice for your wife and fall victim to the social media call-out clan. And yes, Peloton bikes are silly and expensive. If you’ve never seen this Twitter thread that makes fun of Pelotons incredibly snobbish advertising, it’s drop dead hilarious