Time with Parents, True Wealth

True wealth, to me, is not about what you can buy. It’s about buying your autonomy.

This past month, my motivation to stay that path of being an entrepreneur has been the age of my parents.

On a recent trip to Barcelona, I did the math. If my father lives to the average age of 85 (average lifespan of Hong Kong), then we have only 18 more summers like this together.

Growing up as an international kid, I’ve had the privilege of exploring the world beyond my hometown. But each adventure has come with a cost—time spent away from family. Everyone has their personal preference, but I’m personally not alright with seeing my parents two or three times a year.

It was easy to do in my 20s. But in the blink of an eye, I’ve been away from home for 12 years since college. As the years roll on, I’m grappling with a question that haunts me more often: Is it worth it? Is it worth living a life where I see my parents just a handful of times a year?

In my definition of a Full Life, there’s a lot of time spent with the people you love. So it begins to feel uneasy when your actions are misaligned with your values.

If I were to apply one of the tenants of a Full Life, it is to approach it with a non-binary lens. Having a wonderful career and moving back to live with my parents is not mutually exclusive.

If I don’t write my destiny, someone else will.

Thankfully, we live in the age of the internet, where you can create an income that is not limited by your geography. I’ve been on a Dan Koe binge, he’s great writer and I encourage you to check out his stuff.

And that is a big part of why I’m sharing as many lessons as I can with you.

Thank you for reading!

Kindle Highlight of the Week:

PS. If you’re receiving this, we’ve interacted in some shape or form. Probably through Imeldá. I won’t have time to bug you every day, but I’ll try my best to write a quality essay once every 2 weeks, and sharing as many lessons I can along the way.