I struggled to write this one.

Ad over. Now let me set the scene…

Last week, I shared my thoughts on addiction, awareness, and my complex feelings towards the pokies. If you haven't had a chance to read it, you can check it out here: Game, Set & 20 Bucks Down

This week, I’m offering a life update, and I can confidently say that a great deal has transpired in just one week.

Dear Younger Self,

I'm going to be honest.

I really struggled to write this letter. The only reason I managed to do so is that I have a sponsor and need to promote it. It's the truth, though it may not be pretty, that's how most of my long weeks go. As the week draws to a close, the good habits I have yet to form are often the most compromised, including these love letters. Not exactly a strong start to the love theme, right? Especially since Friday was Valentine's Day, you’d think writing a love letter would top my priority list. I digress.

Before I share my ‘quota of the week,’ I want to give you a quick rundown of my week that highlights my struggles. Here it goes:

1. I moved back in with my parents to save up for traveling the world.

2. I officially have four jobs (one is funded by fatherly love).

3. I coach three young girls' basketball teams, which requires an immense amount of patience and drains my energy.

4. My corporate boss scolded me over a co-worker’s habit of ‘beating around the bush.’

5. Every adult I know feels compelled to share lengthy life lessons with me.

6. I accumulated $5,000 in debt just for being too nice and succumbing to pressure to buy something I didn’t need.

7. I’m living out of a suitcase as I prepare to sell or donate 90% of my things for my upcoming trip.

8. I made it onto the Division One Basketball team for states, which is thrilling, though the fees are daunting.

9. I’m often sore and tired, yet I wake up at 5:00 a.m. to train with my dad or play two late-night basketball games.

Finally, just to wrap this up, I've been making some changes to my newsletter’s style, format, and content. I might be a perfectionist who is never fully satisfied, but I hope that every revision enhances the experience for you.

So, that’s my seven-day summary.

Writing it out feels a bit like post-event anxiety. But I share this not for empathy or pity; instead, I want to remind you of the incredible privilege of waking up each morning, jumping out of bed, indulging in food, and being surrounded by friends and family. I honestly believe I unconsciously put myself into chaotic situations because I know they’ll provide invaluable lessons.

It might not be the easiest route, but who said I want everything to be nice?

Feeling and experiencing a full range of emotions is exhilarating; like a free rollercoaster ride. What matters is who I choose to accompany on that journey.

Now, I want to reflect on a past publication, 'My First Entry as a 21-Year-Old,' in which I shared some of my goals for the year. A recurring theme among them is business and entrepreneurship, which I’d like to use as an accountability check. Remember I mentioned I have four jobs now? Well, I’m on track.

One job involves working with my dad to build his business as a public speaker in workplace safety. This role has introduced me to the basics of coding and allowed me to use my design skills, all while spending quality time with my dad after his 9-5. Job two is coaching two teams from one school and one from another, consisting of girls aged 13-16. Beyond patience, I'm developing my ability to articulate my thoughts better and gradually building the confidence to teach these girls what I’ve learned.

Job three is my corporate position, where I’m delving into social media marketing; an essential skill for monetising my own brand. Lastly, my favourite job is this very newsletter. Although it feels more like a hobby at the moment, I hope to grow it into a business that gives rise to other ventures.

This “job” is honing my writing and storytelling skills. I plan to learn how to grow a newsletter, with ambitions of exploring various media formats under my name (yes, exciting things are on the horizon).

In summary, I’ve been strategically chaotic, surrounding myself with numerous opportunities to learn, often getting paid while I do so. So as I conclude this deeply personal reflection, I encourage you to view every situation you find yourself in, even those less than ideal, through the lens of learning. Embrace the mindset of extracting as much knowledge as possible, so that if you encounter a similar outcome again, it will come quicker to you, and you'll be ready to tackle the next new challenge.

Love,

Le Hare

Get your highlighter out…

We often highlight key lessons in our readings to capture essential insights. To save you this effort (since you can't physically highlight digital content) I’ve summarised the key points from my reflections for clarity.

• Many individuals choose not to give up. Yet, what they cling to might be more detrimental than quitting itself. It’s not a matter of failure but rather the frustration of continually starting from scratch. If you simply remain in the game long enough, you’ll outperform 99% of the competitors in your race.

• Not everything pays in money, but everything pays in value.

• Unless you isolate yourself in a room (and even then, you risk mental strain), you cannot evade the tumultuous ride of life. However, the one thing you can control is who chooses to share that ride with you.

For a quick dopamine hit…

I’m a bit of a screen addict.

I constantly find myself staring at a screen, but like many of my habits, I aim to transform this into something beneficial—not just for myself, but for others too.

So, here are this week’s interesting discoveries I came across online that I think is worth your time:

The Man That Makes Millionaires: Turn $100 to $10k With This Step By Step Formula! Alex Hormozi. In addition to the valuable business and personal insights, I’ve developed a deep admiration for Lelia Hormozi, Alex Hormozi’s wife. How important is it to have someone in your corner (romantic or not), someone you can turn to who makes you feel revitalised, much like gaining a ‘health boost’ in Fortnite. With that support, you can confidently venture back into the world and feel like you can take on the world.

Ludwig Godefroy creates brutalist cube-shaped home in Mexico. Not only does the existence of such places in the world inspire me, but the realisation that there are individuals capable of envisioning and creating these remarkable pieces of art also restores my faith in humanity.

Rose Maclean. I’ve been exercising a lot lately, and along with that comes intense cravings, especially for sweets. While scrolling through my feed, I discovered a this lady who specialises in healthy yet delicious dishes, and I must say, her ideas are really hitting the spot for me.

Ummet Ozcan X Otyken Altay (Official Music Video). When people inquire about my favourite music genre, I often respond with Afro Beats. However, I have a passion for discovering hidden gems, which might explain why friends enjoy letting me take charge of the playlist at parties. Recently, I stumbled across this wildly cool song (get it? Because the video is set in the wild.).