This might come off in poor taste, but here it is anyway

Hey,

What you're about to read might come off as preachy, but two things happened last week that I think you'd like to know about:

The first: A friend of mine sold a company for a huge sum.

We went to the ATM so he could celebrate and look at his bank balance. It was $200m. Pretty crazy.

After, we went to a grocery store's buffet for a $35 dinner. The first half of dinner was him freaking out about how he'll invest his money and how he was nervous because each second his cash wasn't invested in something he was losing money.

There really wasn't a relief moment and little to no celebration and reflection. Just stress. The same fear that I imagine he felt when he was broke (I've been there too). Super stressful.

The second: I went to a conference this weekend. There were some super-rich people there. Like the founder of Zappos and people like that. The majority of attendees were not as wealthy as that guy, but wealthy nonetheless.

One of the most popular sessions was on solving personal issues people have at home, in their life, and at work. Basic stuff. Like dealing with depression, anxiety, and all that normal stuff that comes with being human.

But one thing stuck out: it was wild to me how these people at the conference were super wealthy but still not entirely happy. Far from it!

So, why am I telling you this?

Because I was lucky enough to have access to something most people rarely see. And to be honest, it made me depressed to see. The people who chased after something big and got it...they weren't happy!

So here's the preachy takeaway:

Trends as a product, and many of us who talk in our private group, talk about money a ton. I know I do.

But it's incredibly important to remember that money isn't the goal. The goal is building something bigger than yourself. It's about creating amazing things, pursuing an adventure, helping others, and taking risks.

And often, money comes when you do that well.

But regardless whether it does or does not, it's important to find meaning and happiness in the basic stuff that you do each day.

Because, as I learned this weekend and over the past few years hosting conferences with incredibly successful people, money doesn't have as big of an impact on happiness as you think.

So...if you're in this category. The category of wanting to build something fantastic, I'd love for you to join Trends.

I just posted this story in our private group and there's 127 people discussing their experience on this topic.

Want to join?

-Sam


Sent from Sam's desk @ 251 Kearny St. San Francisco, CA
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