June 2019 - The Millionaire Hippie

Everything Always Takes Longer Than You Expect And Costs More

Post published:June 24, 2019
Reading time:5 mins read

I think human beings are optimistic creatures, almost to a fault. We get excited about something, and we work on it, believing that everything is going to turn out perfectly, without any effort, or with very little effort, time, and money invested. In this article, I speak about the relation between optimism and realism.

The hopefulness is a good thing. Optimism is absolutely a ‘positive’ quality to have (no pun intended). It is overly optimistic people who end up believing in their own power to make change, and end up creating impact on this planet. If the entrepreneurs of the past and present did not believe that they had the capacity to influence the world, if they didn’t run with that positivity, they wouldn’t have lifted a finger to make their dreams come true.

But everything has to be gauged with a sort of filtered optimism. Yes, be optimistic, believe that everything is possible, and everything is going to turn out roses and butterflies.

And then pour on a little bit of realism onto those roses and butterflies, to turn them into lily pads and caterpillars. A healthy dose of realism along with a dollop of optimism is the true recipe to success in any endeavour.

Think Of The Simplest Way You Can Do Anything First

Post published:June 17, 2019
Reading time:6 mins read

I am a creative person, and before I started doing improv as a hobby, I used to imagine that the more complicated you make something, the better it is.

Then, I was in improv class one day and the teacher said something poignant. She said that most people assume the point of improv is to make some random sassy complicated joke and make people laugh. But in fact, that is not true. The actual point of improv is to build connections between human beings through simple effective yes/no communication.

The main point of improv is to say yes to whatever your partner says. It can be as complicated as going into space on an elephant’s back. Or it can be as simple as going for a walk in nature and enjoying the surroundings.

Before I heard that, I always tried to come up with complicated routines that would make people laugh, but also create mystery, enigma, and perhaps, even confusion in people’s minds.

Now, I am going the opposite route.

The Point Is Not To Chase Happiness, But To Do Our Work

Post published:June 3, 2019
Reading time:5 mins read

Emerson says:

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

When I was in my teens, and 20s, I used to believe the lie that had been perpetuated by society. That my sole purpose in life is to chase happiness. To run after it as if a demon from hell is going to murder me if I don’t.

I spent all of my time thinking, wondering, reflecting, dreaming about that special day when I would be happy.

Oh, what a great day that would be! It would be rainbows and butterflies, and everything would be oh-so-perfect. I would go tra-la-laing around the world, because at that point, I would have not a worry left in this physical realm.

Of course, I know how foolish I am. The more we chase after something, the more it eludes us. The more fervently we want something or desire something, the more it slips from our slimy grasp.