Hi Reader,

Hope everyone’s weekend is off to a great start.

In LA, the winds have subsided, and the city and its residents are grappling with the magnitude of destruction.

Thank you for those who reached out about donating.

(We created two guides: one for displaced individuals and the other for places to donate.)

In the first story this week, you'll hear Lawrence Yeo's harrowing tale about leaving his house abruptly and living through the dark cloud of uncertainty.

Enrollment is also open for Lawrence's incredible Thinking in Stories course.

In a world where we'll be drowning in AI-generated slop, storytelling is the one skill that will help you truly stand out. (Not an affiliate.)

​// sponsored by Masterworks​ Here’s what you can do when your bank starts apologizing You may have gotten a ‘sorry’ email from your bank, saying that if you had a 5% APY cash account, that privilege is being snatched away. And with interest rates set to keep sinking… where to pivot? But now, for a slice of their portfolio, Masterworks’ art investing platform is offering shares to 66,000+ investors, with each of their 23 sales individually returning a profit to said investors. With 3 illustrative sales, Masterworks investors have realized net annualized returns of +17.6%, +17.8%, and +21.5%! You can skip the waitlist HERE. _The content is not intended to provide legal, tax, or investment advice._ _No money is being solicited or will be accepted until the offering statement for a particular offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers may be revoked at any time. Contacting Masterworks involves no commitment or obligation. _ _“Net Annualized Return” refers to annualized internal rate of return net of all fees and expenses, calculated from the offering closing date to the date the sale is consummated. For additional information regarding the calculation of IRR for a particular investment in an artwork that has been sold, a reconciliation will be filed as an exhibit to Form 1-U and will be available on the SEC’s website. _ _This communication is sent exclusively from Masterworks and is not endorsed by or affiliated with Bank of America. Masterworks did not contribute to the creation of the linked content. The report is not intended to be regarded as investment advice, an offer, or solicitation of an offer to enter into any Masterworks offering. _

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Here are this week's top reads:

// one

On fleeing the inferno

7 minutes | MoreToThat

“There are moments in life where you feel like everything’s a bonus.” I’ve read and watched many stories about the tragic losses arising from the LA fires. My dear friend Lawrence Yeo aka MoreToThat (and frequent RadReads/podcast collaborator) viscerally describes his family’s escape, the week of debilitating uncertainty and the complete whipsaw of emotions. (I also highly recommend his storytelling course Thinking in Stories.).

→ Read the article​

// two

No, you don’t get an A for effort

4 minutes | New York Times

"Praise effort, not outcomes." As Gen X/Millennial parents, we fall much more into the Carol Dweck camp than our Boomer parents did. But the hard truth is that effort alone can be uncorrelated with outcomes. Even worse, it can lead to wasting energy on the wrong things — when instead you should be cutting your losses.

→ Read the article​

// three

Invisible habits are driving your life

6 minutes | The Atlantic

Think you're in control of your daily routines? Science suggests you're not. Our most basic actions - from showering to making coffee - run on autopilot. While this automation makes life easier, it can trap us in patterns that no longer serve our needs or desires.

→ Read the article​

This Week on The Examined Life Podcast

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This week's episode: What’s it like being married to an entrepreneur?​

Stories from my life

I'll admit it.

I'm hooked.

Yup, to making mediocre beats.

And writing code using AI (using the text-to-code platform called cursor).

In 2 hours I created a new personal website (which looks 1,000x better than the RadReads website).

Then I built a tool that generates content based on my own voice. This was more daunting as it required connecting to the Claude API, Supabase (to store the data) and fidgeting with GitHub.

This is all via Nat Eliason's course Build Your own Apps using AI.

(I am an affiliate, but have spent 40+ hours on the course materials and one of the most engaged members in the community.)

Below the Fold
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LAST WEEK'S MOST READ

• ​45 life lessons (at 45 years old) (RadReads, 1,071 clicks)
• ​I am rich and have no idea what to do with my life (Vinay Hiremath, 1,016 clicks)

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And finally, an owner reunites with his dog after the LA fires.

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.

​The Life Operating System: Your home base for personal productivity. It combines tasks, notes, project management and a CRM in one place.

​Supercharge your Productivity: Learn how our $10K Work method can help you improve your mind, career and relationships.

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