1/ Healthy: The Importance of Water Filtration
It might surprise you to know that municipal water sources can contain a range of impurities – from heavy metals such as lead and mercury to microscopic organisms. Chlorine, intended to disinfect water, can react with organic matter, forming potentially harmful byproducts. Pesticides, prescription medications, and industrial pollutants also find their way into our water systems, creating a mix of contaminants.
Here’s where water filtration becomes crucial. It's not just about improving taste; it's a fundamental step for ensuring long-term health. Filtration systems play a vital role in removing these substances, guaranteeing that what you drink, cook with, and use for personal hygiene is stripped of these contaminants. Investing in a reliable water filtration system is a proactive measure toward a healthier lifestyle.
Efficient and frugal ways to filter your water:
Place an attachment on your faucet for main drinking and cooking water
Replace shower heads with filtered heads
Carry a filter capable water bottle
More sophisticated methods exist ranging from UV water purification to entire home filtration with reverse osmosis.
Extending our health span involves making informed choices. Every glass of water you consume is a conscious decision for your well-being. Remember, hydrated cells are happy cells.
2/ Wealthy: Expectations Inflation from the Cycle of Greed
Economies are shaped by powerful forces that influence not just finances but also our attitudes. Competition, the backbone of economies, sets the stage. Not everyone wins, and early success raises the bar higher. Adaptation follows, making us thirst for more success, leading to insatiability. Social comparison fuels this drive. Comparing our achievements intensifies our desires.
Expectations inflation is a constant increase in what you need to be satisfied. Strengthened by the forces of competition, adaptation and social comparison, it is a factor to our wealth mindset.
The rise in our expectations is everywhere, especially to an investment strategy. Morgan Housel offers his advice for managing through this greed cycle. He lists four “Investing Powers” and they can be useful to use as a counter to expectations inflation: (directly quoted below)
Low susceptibility to FOMO. But for a different reason than you might think. The urge to buy an investment because its price went up means you probably don’t know why the price has gone up. And if you don’t know why the price has gone up you’re more likely to bail when it goes down. Most good investing is just sticking around for the longest time possible, through thick and thin. Quash the need to own whatever is going up the most and you reduce the urge to abandon whatever eventually goes down. Someone will always be getting richer than you. It’s OK.
Knowing what game you’re playing. An idea that’s obvious but overlooked is that investors on the same field play different games. We buy the same companies, read the same news, talk to the same people, are quoted the same market prices – but we’re everything from day traders to endowments with century-long time horizons. Even investors who think they’re playing the same game – say, stock pickers – have wildly different goals and risk tolerances. My view is that most investing debates do not reflect genuine disagreement; they reflect investors playing different games talking over each other, upset that people who don’t want what you want can’t see what you see. Understanding your game, without being swayed by people playing different games, is a rare investing power.
Recognizing the difference between patience and stubbornness. Two things are true: 1) every asset goes through temporary out-of-favor periods, and 2) the world changes, and some things fall permanently out of favor. Industries go through normal cycles, then they die. Investing strategies work for decades, then they stop. Realizing that patience plays the most important role in investing, but it shouldn’t be used blindly in every situation, is so hard. Dealing with it requires a combination of conviction and flexibility that can feel like a contradiction. The trick – and that’s the right word – is realizing that some behaviors never change but the composition of the economy always does. Having a few immutable beliefs but even more that you’re willing to abandon is a rare investing power.
Comfortable being miserable. And let me define misery a few ways. Losing money can be miserable. So is the honest admission that your investment success may not have come entirely from skill. So is the inevitable doubt among your investors, co-workers, spouse, friends, and self during a stretch of underperformance. Realizing what’s out of your control can be miserable; recognizing how many risks exist that you had never considered can make you despondent.
-Morgan Housel
Understanding where you stand in the cycle of greed is essential. By recognizing the forces at play, in economics and on your mindset, you can navigate the cycles of greed and work to curb the expectations inflation ahead.
3/ Wise: How to Remember Anything with Spaced Repetition
Spaced Repetition is a powerful learning technique grounded in the science of memory retention. Unlike traditional study methods, where we cram information all at once, Spaced Repetition optimizes the intervals between review sessions. When you learn something new, the initial memory is fragile and easily forgettable. Spaced Repetition capitalizes on the psychological spacing effect, suggesting that information is better retained when revisited at increasing intervals over time.
Here's how it works: when you learn a new fact, you review it shortly after. If you recall it correctly, the next review happens after a longer interval. If you struggle, the interval shortens.
This adaptive process ensures you review information just as you're about to forget it, strengthening the memory. There are various Spaced Repetition apps and platforms available, like Anki or Memrise, making it accessible to anyone. By integrating Spaced Repetition into your learning routine, you're essentially hacking your brain’s natural memory system, enabling efficient, long-term retention of information. Whether you're studying a new language, delving into scientific theories, or exploring history—like the Roman Empire—Spaced Repetition can transform your learning experience.
Get started with this excellent tutorial: Spaced Repetition (includes a kid friendly way to start learning with flash cards and a shoebox!)
In conclusion, let us remember that health, wealth, and wisdom are interconnected aspects of a fulfilling life. Embrace authenticity, seek evidence, and cultivate meaningful connections as you embark on this journey of personal growth toward a life well spent.
Stay healthy, wealthy, and wise.
With warmth,
Fernando R.F.
(Note: This blog is not written by a medical or financial professional. It's important to consult with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle, especially if you have any underlying health conditions. They can provide personalized guidance tailored to your individual needs. It is important to do your own research and determine the best course of action together with an expert.)
Go Deeper:
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-10/documents/ace3_drinking_water.pdf
https://collabfund.com/blog/five-investing-powers/
https://explorabl.es/
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00962/full#:~:text=The%20spacing%20effect%20is%20the,A%20Contribution%20to%20Experimental%20Psychology.