Hi Reader,

Greetings from Santa Fe, I hope you all had an incredible holiday week.

Speaking of Santa, he got me some new high-fidelity headphones and some cozy James Perse sweatpants. How about you?

Is 2025 going to be the year you make your bold pivot?

Will you downshift, change careers or take a crack at entrepreneurship?

It takes a tremendous amount of courage to make a big life change and I'll be leading a 5 person coaching cohort to help you navigate the transition.

On January 9th we're hosting a free information session, apply below:

Here are this week's top reads:

// one

Just enough to walk away

11 minutes | Rick Foerster

“The point was never to NOT work.” After 10 years away from Wall Street, I’ve learned that the hardest part wasn’t the loss of identity or the big ass bonuses. It was truly feeling — in my bones — what enough meant. This is an intimate profile from RadReader Rick Foerster (and I encourage you to subscribe to his Way of Work newsletter).

→ Read the article​

// two

52 things I learned this year

6 minutes | Tom Whitwell

I’ve included this quirky list of fun facts every year and it never disappoints. This year’s favorites include raves on horseback, never starting chats with “hello” and how South Korea shames tax evaders.

→ Read the article​

// three

Revisiting travel

4 minutes | More to That

Can you really use travel to "find yourself?" Years ago, my friend Lawrence Yeo wrote the viral piece Travel is no cure for the mind. It's a nuanced argument that internal struggles can't be changed by external circumstances. In this follow-up, he refines the argument to analyze 3 specific reasons people travel (and why we're not always honest about them).

→ Read the post​

Stories from my life

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I discovered this powerful story (from the Ram Dass podcast) about how our inner dialogue determines our reality:

A fierce samurai approached a humble Zen monk and demanded, "Tell me the nature of heaven and hell!"

The monk looked at him with disdain and replied, "You are nothing but a brute. I have no time for fools like you!"

The samurai, insulted and enraged, drew his sword and prepared to strike the monk down.

Calmly, the monk said, "That is hell."

The samurai froze.

His anger and pride had consumed him and created his hell.

Humbled, he sheathed his sword and bowed to the monk, thanking him for the lesson.

The monk smiled and said, "And that is heaven."

This Week on The Examined Life Podcast

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This week's episode: How do you find purpose?​

Below the Fold
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LAST WEEK'S MOST READ

• ​A rule for lifestyle creep: live beneath your assets (Money With Katie, 1,366 clicks)
• ​40 questions to ask yourself every year (Steph Ango, 740 clicks)

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And finally, competitive daydreaming is now a sport.

With gratitude,

Khe

PS, here's how we can help you:

​Apply for our Coaching programs: Are you an executive or founder undergoing a career change? We’ll give you frameworks and accountability for this transition.

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