Welcome to the Mind Fuzz newsletter, a recap of three things that are on my mind this week.
1. Asking More Questions
Imagine what opportunities you could be getting if you were just putting yourself out there and asking the right questions.
This week I sold my first article as a freelancer (it was this one about my travels through Europe). And yes, I’m extremely excited about it.
It was entirely off the back of a cold email that I sent after reading a local lifestyle magazine and spotting the editor’s email address inside the front page. I was pretty sure it would be rejected, but I still decided to give it a go.
I was a journalist for five years, so having my stories printed is nothing new. But selling a story as a freelancer is an entirely different feeling, especially a story that was so personal to me.
My mug’s gonna’ be in the paper again, Mum!
2. Balling on a Budget
I’ve always been tight with money, but since coming back from Europe, I’ve taken it to a whole other level. Four months of travelling and six months with no income definitely starts to add up, so I’m more frugal than I’ve ever been.
I’ve been buying nothing but the essentials. Even limiting myself to just one coffee out each week. And you know what? Life is great.
It can be so easy to fall into the trap of spending more when you’re making more. That $20 takeaway meal doesn’t seem as bad when you made $300 that day. But when you strip everything back, you realise how great life can be even when you’re not constantly paying for little comforts and luxuries.
And for a serial saver and investor like myself, that $20 is not just $20. Invested in the right way and for long enough, it can compound into a lot more. That’s what most people don’t realise.
So yeah, I’ll keep drinking my 10 cent cup of Aldi coffee with a smile.
3. Blaming the Universe
“In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.”
Yes, I am still indulging in Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, and this quote is one of my favourites so far.
Isn’t it incredible that most of the people on this planet have created a life for themselves that they don’t enjoy living? We sign our lives away to live like those around us – most of the time without even questioning if that’s what we actually want.
It’s easy to blame the universe as the years tick by and you see your life waste away before your eyes. For most people, that’s the reality.
But if you want to actually wake up excited about your day, then you have to do the opposite of what the 99% do. If what you’re doing doesn’t make sense to the majority, then you know you’re on the right path.
And who knows, you might actually start to hate the universe less.
A closing question for you
Are there opportunities you could be passing up simply because you’re afraid of rejection?
