Hey — It’s Toffer — for the time being.
That means before and after that, I’m not Toffer.
Estimated read time: 5 minutes
⏳ How is time related to being?
I suppose, everything.
When my time is up, my being is done. That means how I use my time defines who I am — my very being.
⚖️ So, now what?
I guess, find something to do — something that gives me a sense of purpose (meaning) but also pays the bills (money).
By the way, the notion that these pursuits are mutually exclusive is flawed. In fact, I can pursue both meaning and money (or neither). I get to choose my own path:
PLUG: I’m working on Future Tracker — a planner to help map out and track progress towards that good life, where meaning and money overlap.
What’s fascinating about this project is at its core, it demands self-discovery. The parallel pursuit of finding both meaning and money hinges on truly understanding ourselves first. From there, the process of looking inward can really help kick off an ongoing cycle of self-improvement.
🎤 YOLO
‘You Only Live Once’ went from famous to infamous quickly because it stopped at self-discovery. When Drake dropped The Motto in 2011, YOLO meant living life to the fullest fearlessly. But it devolved into recklessness focused solely on the self.1
⛰️ Meaning
The good life requires transcending the self. For people who don’t have a lot of struggle in their life, it's likely they only see and climb one mountain—the mountain of the self, not recognizing the existence of a second mountain:
If the first mountain is about building up the ego and defining the self, the second mountain is about shedding the ego and losing the self. If the first mountain is about acquisition, the second mountain is about contribution. — David Brooks2
The second mountain usually appears on the horizon when we fall, when we traverse valleys of struggle and misfortune. I suppose that’s the trade-off, because ascending the second mountain marks the commencement of the good life — the key in meaning.
💰 Money
In 2001, Warren Buffett posed a pivotal question at the University of Georgia:
If you could invest in a friend and get 10% of their earnings for life, who would you pick?
This prompted students to compile a list of names based on merit. So Buffett probed:
Why would you invest in that person? What character traits do they have?
Now they have a list of character traits to adopt. Then Buffett asked:
If you could short a friend’s earnings, who would you pick and why?
Now they have a list of character traits to avoid.
This inquiry extends beyond money — prompting the students to reflect on the qualities they cherish and the traits they despise.
Buffett's approach exploits a cognitive blind spot: our ability to spot flaws in others while overlooking our own. By scrutinizing attributes of others, we gain insight into our aspirations and flaws.
To understand myself, I must look beyond myself. I need others to find meaning and money.
Dare I say, the good life is ultimately lived for others — for the time being.
Your Friend In Time,
Toffer
Not blaming Drake for YOLO because a young conductor named Johann Strauss II released a waltz named Man lebt nur einmal! or ‘You Only Live Once’ in the heady days of 1855.
The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks explores the idea that true fulfillment and happiness come not from personal success and self-centered pursuits but from dedicating oneself to others and embracing a life of purpose and community.