To Concentrate Or Diversify?

That's not difficult to answer.

There's usually 2 situations where one tends to concentrate or diversify - depending on one's situation.

1)  Got craft? 

When you are clueless to what doing you, of course being diversified is one way to ownself do less harm to ownself.

But if you believed "luck" is preparation meeting opportunity; when opportunity presents itself, of course you would concentrate and strike while the iron is hot!

That's what edge over others or craftmanship is for!

2)  Up mountain or down mountain?

When you have nothing else to aim for, or is wary of giving back to the markets what you have gained so far, then diversification to protect wealth may be the preferred choice.

It could also be due to shrunken baxxs due to old age... 

But if you're like that Indonesian Chinese who went from $1 billion to $7 billion with his concentrated bet on Tesla, and is still aiming to reach $100 billion, then concentrated bets would be the poison of choice.

He reminds me of the tale of the bird with no legs... Got to keep flying... Always on the way...

What has age got to do with anything!?

 

The Reason You Get Up In The Morning

 

Regular readers of my previous post - What Then? Be A Prostitute? - have correctly guessed I'm poking parrots who just vomit out mindless catchphrases without much internalisation or deeper thought themselves.


Let's take ikigai.

What comes to mind immediately?

The diagram below?

Hands up anyone who have heard only of the this word "ikigai" or seen the diagram above, but have not read any actual literature on ikigai?

That didn't stop anyone from "pretending" to know everything there is about ikigai, does it?

Want to bet if you talk to a Japanese, or to be more precise, an Okinawan, they wouldn't express ikigai like the diagram above? 

The diagram above is  definitely something a Westerner would come up with! Everything with clear boundaries - with a name for each box you happen to belong to. A is for apple... B is for boy...

As for those of us who have not forgotten our Oriental roots and culture, you would know right away that's not how we Asians think! Philosophically speaking - we are very holistic and fuzzy, fuzzy; often clear as mud!

Its like trying to describe the taste of mango to someone who has never eaten one.

That's why I prefer to describe ikigai as, "The reason we get up in the morning." 

Of the many descriptions of ikigai, I like this one the best!

Why?

Remember those days when we were young we can't wait for tomorrow to arrive? It could be Christmas, a school excursion, going on a date, a sporting event?

As we enter the workforce, ever had those days when we were eager to show up at work every morning? Or during the weekends, we can't wait for Monday to come sooner?

But when we drag waking up in the mornings, or suffer from Monday blues, we know something is not right in our lives...

Some numb themselves with alcohol or drugs. 

Extreme cases, some decide to not to wake up ever...

On a side note, please seek medical help or talk to a person that matters if you find yourself avoiding waking up in the mornings persistently. 

In case you didn't know, although ikigai as a concept has existed as part of Japan's culture, it was Meiko Kamiya who popularised ikigai to the general public in modern day Japan through her book, "On the meaning of life (ikigai)" in 1966. 

Surprisingly, her book was never translated to English!?

Want to see the Japanese version of ikigai in picture?

  

Hey! I'm going off tangent again! 

Some readers may exclaim in frustration...

Some are probably still waiting for the reasons why I'm poking both contradictory catchphrases below:

1.  Follow your passion!

2.  Follow your passion is the worst career advice!

Well, it's your life.

Who better to judge whether your life has meaning, or are you happy?

Plus whether the pursuit of more money would fill the holes-in-your-heart... 

And you don't mind being a prostitute at all just as long the money is right!

Or is you life so shallow that you are easily manipulated influenced by some mere catchphrases uttered or written by people whom you don't know well at all?

  

What Then? Be A Prostitute?

 

Don't follow your passion?

LOL!

So what's the alternative?

Just as long the money is good, you'll do it?

OK....

Wait. 

Isn't that the definition of a prostitute?

And I thought I'm the man-whore in the community!

Never mind if your workplace is toxic. If pay is good, better, best, why complain? Suck it up!

So what if the company is a slave driver. Expects you to work 60 hour work weeks. I mean who have heard of anyone dying from hard work?

Eh... Karoshi?

But, but... This job pays triple what I can get from a less stressful job... 

Look! Just focus on money!

Money, money, money.

Earn and save as much as possible. Take the money to invest for passive income.

Then we can all attain FIRE at 35!

Suffer first; enjoy later.

P.S.  That's provided you don't die of heart failure or have a mental breakdown first!

And when we are working 60 hour work weeks, or mentally stressed from work, pray tell how the hell one got the time and composure to find the "right" passive income vehicle that matches our temperature?