The Loop: Lights on, lights off.
I’d head out when the streetlights flickered off and crawl back when they hummed back on. That was the loop I ran for a long time. Was the work interesting? Sure. Were my colleagues great? The best. But that loop was like a grinding stone, slowly crushing my sense of “being alive” into fine dust.
I remember Robert Kiyosaki saying something that used to grate on my nerves: “A stable job is the biggest risk you can take.”
Back then, I just scoffed. But looking back, the risk isn’t about losing the job. The risk is losing yourself. The question kept clawing at my brain: Am I living a vibrant life, or am I just slowly rotting away in a gilded cage?
The Jolt from “Giants” and the 10-Year Journal
Ten years ago, I didn’t just slam my resignation on the desk and run into the wild. I chose to be a “double agent.” By day, I was the diligent employee. But after 5:00 PM, my real life began.
There’s a quote that haunted me: “What you do after 5 PM decides your life.”
Taking that to heart, I started redrawing my map. I stumbled into an MBA program—mostly because I had too much free time and wanted to learn about finance. That was the spark. I started with scribbled, messy notes—ambitious dreams of financial freedom. Those were the first bricks I laid with my own hands.
I turned myself into a “practical bookworm.” I didn’t read to look smart; I read to find an exit. From the pages of those books, I stepped into the battlefield. I started investing.
But life isn’t a fairy tale, and the market doesn’t give a damn about your feelings.
The Slap in the Face
The result? The first few slaps were brutal. I lost money. Not just once, but a streak of failures that made me want to fold. People watched from the sidelines, shaking their heads: “He’s a fool. Why ruin a perfectly stable life for this?”
But a strange thing happened. As my pockets got lighter, I felt myself getting wealthier. My journal grew thicker every day. Every page of failure was a “million-dollar lesson” that no university could ever teach. I slowly realized the Stoic’s truth: Life is all profit.
If you lose money but gain experience, gain grit, and gain the ability to stay calm in a storm—that’s a high-ROI investment.
14.000 Lines in a Journal (and Counting)
As The Alchemist says: “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” The universe “helped” me by throwing harsh challenges my way to wake me up. It shaved off my arrogant ego and replaced it with stillness.
16 Hours a Day for “Freedom”
And so, here I am—opening a brand new chapter.
People ask me: “You’re financially set, so why are you still working so hard?” It’s true, I still grind. In fact, I work harder now than I ever did for a boss—16 hours a day.
But the difference is in the mindset: I’m not working anymore. I’m playing.
I finally feel Warren Buffett’s words: “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Or Sadhguru’s advice: “Do what is most needed for your life right now.”
I choose 16 hours because every hour is a joy, an indulgence. When you live your passion and burn for what you believe in, “exhaustion” becomes a meaningless word. That is the ultimate compound interest of life.
This Journey Isn’t for the “Safe” Ones
I can’t promise the weather will be great tomorrow, that the market will stay green, or that this path is paved with roses. Life is impermanent, and I welcome it with a smile.
But I know one thing for sure: Every time I open my eyes, I feel like I’m LIVING, not just lingering, waiting for the day to end.
From today, follow me. I’m going to share the rawest parts of this transformation. I’ll show you how I “burn” 16 hours a day across the globe, combining the cold logic of an investor with the burning heart of a nomad.
Joy is profit. Pain is profit. Just keep moving.
Ahaalife – Peace is here, and now.
