Time to reflect - Sunday Surprise [10-Nov-24]
New home for the next 3 months
Howdy!
It doesn’t feel that long since we last spoke! But my, doesn’t the world feel different?! After the historic elections in the US, things feel less certain, and with only 51 days left in 2024, it seems the perfect time for some reflection…
How are you doing? Given it was such a divisive side, I’d love to know which side of the fence you’re on. I have friends celebrating and others commiserating, but I’ve really found it fascinating to hear their take, especially since these friends are here in Australia but are very much swept up in it all. So do hit “reply” and let me know!
General housekeeping: 90% of the newsletter is completely free. Any links with * are affiliate links. If you’ve enjoyed any of my random creative endeavours/like giving to charity/want to support Substack as an awesome platform, consider subscribing. They take a cut(I can’t actually pay for this awesome service) and I tend to donate most of this to charity, but I do use it as a yard stick to know that people find the content valuable. It should work out to <$2/wk!Creative update
I haven’t really spent too much time on creating things since last update. I did make an Instagram Reel that I’ll link below along with some previous things. We were meant to record an episode of the podcast, but unfortunately some urgent start-up related things chewed up all the time. Should have a new episode out soon!
Instagram - Sunny Sundays
Podcast episode - The Medical Magician - an older episode from season 2 with our good friend, Dr Vyom Sharma. With such a diverse career, I always find chats with Vyom incredibly fun and insightful. Perfect time to revisit this one!
Things I’m watching
Everything they teach you at Goldman Sachs in 36minutes
Before you watch, just know this is a very nerdy topic: this is an overview of the principles of corporate finance and private equity.
I have no idea how I stumbled onto this video, but it’s actually a very nice summary of what goes on behind the scenes during those billion dollar deals that we hear about and how they affect us all.
I wouldn’t call it entertaining, per se, but it’s definitely given me a good framework to understand the world a tad bit better.
Cool finds
VeriMark Desktop Fingerprint Scanner*
Windows PCs have had fingerprint and face recognition for ages, yet new keyboards seem to be dropping the feature just as password-free logins are catching on. I found this standalone scanner, which is ideal for setups like mine where the camera is covered. If you’re big on fingerprint security, it’s worth a look!
Actionable insight
Share your goals and have others keep you accountable.
There’s a reason so many habit-change strategies revolve around accountability—it works!
We’re social creatures, and being accountable to others can help us stay on track for the longer, more ambitious goals. With the year-end coming, I’ll be reviewing my 2024 goals in the next edition and starting to set some for 2025. Want to join me in some goal-setting accountability? Hit reply!
Weekly Update
It’s been only a few days since our last chat, but I do feel as though a lot has changed in the world. Even though I’m a continent away, everything you see and hear makes the US elections feel so consequential regardless where you are in the world.
Interestingly, I found that it was one of the least discussed things when I actually IN THE US! That was over a month ago though…
In that time, I have also managed to have some long overdue chats with close friends. The sort of friends that ask those pointedly deep questions that really make you think before you answer.
Maybe the culmination of all that has left me very reflective…
Apart from work and keeping up with my course, my mother-in-law was set to return back to Singapore. My parents invited us all over for one more dinner before she left. When I first met my wife, she found it odd that both sides of my family actually sometimes chat without us involved (ie. my maternal aunts/uncles will check-in with my paternal aunts/uncles as an example). Even by sub-continental standards, my family is probably more tighter-knit than most, but I think that dinner and the ones before like it is the reason why.
It was genuinely just so nice to have some home cooked food and spend time with just our parents. It’s probably the first time I’ve felt totally at ease with my MIL, given we were at my parents’ house. It was one of those times that I could tell in real time that it’d be a fond memory for me…
Quote of the week
This week, it’s from an Indian philosopher…
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