The Curious Cat is a journey where I aim to reconnect with my inner-child and explore my curiosity. I pinpoint themes & topics I’ve been interested in within the last 7 days, ask myself questions about them and then write about them. I hope you find value within this issue and have a fantastic day doing what you love.
Hello hello.
I think it was Tim Ferris who introduced me to this idea:
Rather than looking into the future and setting New Year’s resolutions, step into the past and reflect upon the year you have just lived.
I am perpetually inundated by this hypernormalised world. So as I did in 2022, 2021 & 2020, this is my attempt to reflect on the bygone year and make some sense of it.
What a year. Infinite thanks to those who contributed. Inshallah, my good fortune continues.
Here are some of my takeaways from the year 2023. I’ll open with the #1 rule from last year:
I have learnt that nothing is wrong. Nothing is ever wrong. Nothing can ever be wrong. Wrong is impossible to be. “Wrongness is in the eye of the beholder and nowhere else.”
Money is a tool. Health is a priority. Presence is everything.
The surest way to become tense, awkward, confused and ultimately fail, is to develop a mind that tries too hard - one that thinks too much.
Plastic production is up 22,900% since 1950.
Only 9% of it has been recycled.
I have absolutely no idea how to breathe.
Fear is natural. It is telling. Rather than giving it negative connotations, take the opportunity to welcome it. Recognise it, analyse it and act accordingly. Fear is an opportunity to overcome adversity and triumph. Cherish it.
Earth has seen 20,000 years of CO2 change in just the last 170.
What el niño is (thanks Jordy the Geordie).
I want to become (and will become) a dedicated, curious, athlete who lives and loves freely.
“Those who think that the rewarding things in life are somewhere beyond the rainbow burn their toast a lot.”
Nature is calm, yet chaotic. It is still, yet flows. It relaxes me, yet highlights distress. And I guess that is what enamours me, the yin and the yan.
Passports expire 6 months before their expiry date.
Homo Floriensis might still exist. More here.
Struggle is only in the mind.
If I build a harmonious relationship with my peers, nature and the divine, I boost my chances of living a prosperous life - also known as Tri Hita Karana.
Being aware of the macros you ingest is wise. You want to know how much protein, carbs and fats you are eating.
The Balinese people are, without a shadow of a doubt, the friendliest folk I have ever met. I love them for it.
I feel most alive, most fulfilled and most aligned when in the mountains.
When you fill your day and you're busy, that busyness becomes an excuse that you use against doing the things that scare you. Be wary.
There are rarely solutions. Only tradeoffs. Opportunity cost bro.
Essential oils have an incredible power to remedy and aid the human body.
Going into 2023, I didn’t have the foggiest clue what I eat. I didn’t know where my food came from. I didn’t know where it was made. And I didn’t know what impact it had. After #64 - What You Eat I now understand things a tad better.
I can fast for 36 hours with little to no effort. My body doesn't feel hunger, my mind does.
AI is the next field of tech/innovation that everyone cares about.
Those who learn to wield GenAI are going to have one of the most distinguished competitive advantages of this epoch.
Suppressing emotions like love is neither healthy nor sustainable. In the words of John Lennon “let it be.”
‘Pink beach’ isn't a pink beach. And Komodo dragons aren't dragons. They've got a hell of a marketing team in the Komodo National Park.
Going forward, I need to invest in my goals. I enrolled to 4 courses this year and each one was highly productive. No regret whatsoever.
The only 2 things we can truly control are where we place our attention and where we place our effort.
Half of the world’s coral reefs have died in the last 30 years.
For years I held the opinion that gyms were venues where people pay excessive money to work in a socially awkward environment, inside, littered with recycled oxygen and AC. I now see things differently.
The last 7 years have been the hottest 7 years on record (in Europe).
Your mind is a birdcage; a damn busy one. Meditation is the process of opening the cage, allowing all birds to fly out and leave. Those that stay are the important ones. It is a filtration and purification process.
Having a mentor (preferably more than one) is a necessity to get to where you want to be.
Your social environment dictates your ability & motivation to be.
NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER YOU JUDGEMENTAL IDIOT.
More often than not, journalists want to shape your opinion, rather than inform you.
The concept of ‘the masculine trap’ - the wish for completion. But the moment of “making it” never arrives.
I can eat cashews, pistachios and almonds…I've gone my whole life thinking I was allergic to them. Still no peanuts and hazelnuts though.
All true wealth is biological. Everything else is just stone and metal.
The value of crypto can be calculated = fiat liquidity + tech/innovation
I think Network States are going to be the most interesting development of the 21st century.
The Western purpose is to create meaning as individuals. But in the Eastern world, people let go of the label of “I.” There is no sense of self.
I have a love-hate relationship with surfing. I don’t enjoy it 95% of the time, but man, that 5% does wonders.
Very often, opportunities only look like opportunities in the rearview mirror. Today they look like risk.
Alcohol is something I intend to phase out of my life. I already am.
E-Sims exist and they are friggin cool! The days of hunting for a rare paper clip to open those pesky SIM slots are forever over!
Suncream might be counterproductive. I don't know.
Sorry for singling you guys out in such a harsh manner, but the incest rate of the Philippines is 33%! In other words, 1 in 3 people have had sex with a direct family member (often due to rape). Probably the craziest stat I've come across this year.
Brazilian/Portuguese music can be FUNKY. In fact, maybe the funkiest. Feel free to give my Spotify playlist a peep.
You are making a mistake if you don't use a password manager.
A far greater mistake would be not building and using your second brain.
Creativity is a science that can be studied. It has laws that dictate how it operates; which in turn, help you in the pursuit of maximising your creative output.
I think Messi’s deal with Inter Miami marks a new era. A new era in which athletes monetise themselves and become shareholders in the range of businesses they collaborate with and boost revenues for. I wrote about it here.
It took +200,000 years for the human population to reach 1 billion. It took us just 12 years to grow from 7 billion to 8 billion people.
Instagram didn't lie. Bali is a magical place.
And its bum gun is a fantastic invention.
I discovered and found immense value in Mentum - a program that aims to get men to live their best lives. I now have a vision of where I want to be in 10 years and a system that allows me to work towards that goal every day. It helps me live a life of intention.
Irish people are the best people.
The cure for boredom is curiosity.
And last, I am indescribably lucky and privileged. It's bonkers. Absolutely absurd.
I would like to add my own for your interest. This year I learnt about running shoes, how in the last years shoe build and technology has exploded and at the same time become way more affordable. Don’t buy running shoes based on looks/brand loyalty. Go to a running shoes specialised store, try a few pairs, get a gait analysis done, and get the right pair for you . ITS WORTH IT. 👟👟
Great piece, super interesting and fun to read