After listening to an episode of the Radical Personal Finance Podcast it made me think, have you ever wondered why some people seem perpetually happy while others, despite having everything—money, success, status—still feel unfulfilled? It’s a question that’s puzzled philosophers, psychologists, and everyday folks like us for centuries. The episodes is titled "A Billion Dollar Exit Doesn’t Lead to Automatic Happiness," and it made me wonder on my perspective of what happiness really means. Spoiler alert: (Not really, we've all heard this before) it’s not about the money. It’s about the journey—and how we choose to travel it.
In this blog post, I’m diving into the podcast’s key message, connecting it to a powerful quote about happiness being a "manner of traveling," and exploring why our most precious resources—time and attention—hold the real key to fulfillment. Plus, I’ll tie it all to the Self Defense Academy Colorado Springs, where learning to defend yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally becomes a transformative investment in your happiness. And trust me, you’ll want to act on this now. Let’s get started.
The Podcast: A Billion-Dollar Lesson in Happiness
The episode centers on a fascinating premise: even a monumental financial milestone, like selling a company for a billion dollars, doesn’t guarantee happiness. The host Joshua Sheets (Who i've met and is full of great energy) unpacks the story of an entrepreneur who hit the jackpot with a billion-dollar exit—something most of us can only dream of. But instead of basking in bliss, he found himself grappling with an unsettling truth: the money didn’t fill the void he thought it would.
Why? Because happiness isn’t a byproduct of external achievements. We’ve all been sold the idea that if we just reach that next goal—get the promotion, buy the house, hit the jackpot—happiness will follow. But as the podcast reveals, that’s a myth. Financial success might buy you comfort or security, but it doesn’t automatically deliver joy. Instead, happiness comes from something far less tangible—and far more within our control.
Happiness Is a Manner of Traveling
This brings us to the quote that opens the 753 Code by Margaret Lee Runbeck: "Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling." Let that sink in for a moment. It’s not about where you end up—it’s about how you move through life.
Think of it like a road trip. You could be driving a luxury car to a five-star destination, but if you’re stressed, distracted, or miserable the whole way, does the endpoint really matter? On the flip side, you could be cruising in a beat-up sedan, singing off-key to your favorite tunes with the windows down, and feel on top of the world. Happiness isn’t the billion-dollar exit or the corner office—it’s the daily choices, the mindset, the way you travel through life’s ups and downs.
The podcast drives this home by challenging us to rethink our pursuit of happiness. Instead of chasing external markers of success, what if we focused on cultivating joy in the journey itself? That’s where our true power lies—Think about how this defends are mental wellness.
Time and Attention: The Real Currency of Happiness
Here’s a truth we often overlook: time and attention are our most valuable assets. Money comes and goes—you can earn more, lose it, invest it—but time? Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. And attention? It’s the lens through which we experience every moment. Where we direct it shapes our reality.
Studies back this up. Research from the Journal of Positive Psychology shows that people who invest their time in meaningful activities—like learning new skills (Hm, Hm, Self Defense), building relationships, or pursuing personal growth—report higher levels of happiness than those who chase material gains. It’s not about how much you have; it’s about how you spend what you’ve got.
So, if happiness is a manner of traveling, then time and attention are the fuel for the journey. The question is: are you spending them on things that light you up, that make you feel alive and empowered? Or are you letting them slip away on autopilot, waiting for some future milestone to “fix” everything?
Self Defense Academy Colorado Springs: A Path to Happiness
This is where the Self Defense Academy Colorado Springs enters the picture—and it’s a game-changer. At first glance, you might think self-defense is just about learning to throw a punch or escape a hold. But dig deeper, and you’ll see it’s so much more. It’s an investment of time and attention that pays off on physical, mental, and emotional levels, paving the way to a happier, more empowered life.
Physical Empowerment
On the surface, self-defense training equips you with practical skills to protect yourself and your loved ones. Whether it’s mastering a striking technique or learning how to break free from a grip, you walk away with tools that boost your safety and confidence. In a world where threats can pop up unexpectedly, that’s no small thing.
Mental Sharpness
But it’s not just about your body. Self-defense sharpens your mind, too. It teaches you situational awareness—how to read a room, spot potential risks, and stay calm under pressure. It’s like a practice for your brain, building focus, discipline, and quick decision-making skills that spill over into every area of life.
Emotional Resilience
Here’s the kicker: self-defense is an emotional powerhouse. Every class you take, every technique you master, chips away at fear and self-doubt. You start to carry yourself differently—head up, shoulders back, with a quiet confidence that says, “I’ve got this.” That sense of security and self-assurance? It’s pure fuel for happiness.
The Self Defense Academy Colorado Springs offers classes for everyone—beginners, advanced students, women, kids, seniors. Whether you’re looking to get in shape, conquer anxiety, or simply feel prepared for whatever life throws at you, our program fits. It’s not just about surviving; it’s about thriving.
The Urgency to Act Now
Here’s the catch: life doesn’t wait. Every day you put off investing in yourself is a day you can’t reclaim. We live in a world where uncertainty is the only constant—whether it’s a late-night walk to your car or an unexpected challenge that tests your resolve. Why wait for a wake-up call to realize you’re worth the time and attention?
The Self Defense Academy Colorado Springs isn’t just a place to learn skills; it’s a launchpad for a happier, more confident you. And the time to start is NOW. We offer classes that can fit into your busy schedule, plus special programs and introductory offers to get you in the door. Imagine walking through life knowing you’re ready—physically, mentally, emotionally. That’s not a distant dream; it’s a choice you can make today.
Don’t let another moment slip by. Happiness isn’t a billion-dollar exit or a far-off goal—it’s a manner of traveling, and it starts with how you spend your time and attention. Visit the Self Defense Academy Colorado Springs and take the first step on this transformative journey. Your future self—the one who’s stronger, braver, and genuinely happier—will thank you.
Wrapping It Up
The Radical Personal Finance episode hit me with a powerful reminder: a billion-dollar exit might pad your bank account, but it won’t automatically fill your soul. True happiness comes from within—from how we travel through life, not where we end up. By investing our time and attention in pursuits like self-defense training, we build a foundation of empowerment and joy that money can’t buy.
So, what are you waiting for? The road to happiness isn’t paved with gold—it’s built with intentional choices, starting today. Head to the Self Defense Academy Colorado Springs and discover how defending yourself can lead to a richer, more fulfilling life. Your journey starts now. YOU Are Worth Defending! Why a Billion-Dollar Exit Won’t Make You Happy (And What Will)
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Thought of the Moment: (If you prefer to read the post yourself)
I am rich and have no idea what to do with my life
Life has been a haze this last year. After selling my company, I find myself in the totally un-relatable position of never having to work again. Everything feels like a side quest, but not in an inspiring way. I don’t have the same base desires driving me to make money or gain status. I have infinite freedom, yet I don’t know what to do with it, and, honestly, I’m not the most optimistic about life.
I know. This is a completely zeroth-world position to be in. The point of this post isn’t to brag or gain sympathy. To be honest, I don’t exactly know what the point of this post is. I tried to manufacture one, but I just felt like a phony. Then I recognized the irony of creating purpose out of a blog post when I don’t currently have much conviction or purpose in life.
So I’ll just go ahead and explain my current situation for my own selfish purposes. To push myself to be completely (and awkwardly) vulnerable to a blob of nameless strangers over the internet. No expectations of what comes out of it.
Going to the redwoods and giving up $60m
Last March I had no idea what to do with my life. I knew that staying at the acquiring company was not it for me for the big company reasons you might suspect (lots of politics, things moved slowly, NPC coworkers, etc.), but I found it very hard to give up a $60m pay package. I had already made more money than I knew what to do with, but your mind does funny things when you start to consider numbers like this.
So I decided to go to the redwoods and figure it out.
Within 5 minutes of my first hike, the trees smiled at me and whispered their simple wisdom.
What is the point of money if it not for freedom?
What is your most scarce resource if not time?
I would leave to do something. Anything. To be alive again. I had no idea. But I was hell bent on making sure everyone knew I had it all figured out. Out of ego. Out of fear of wading into the unknown. When you work on something that consumes your life for a decade, it’s hard to let go of the certainty and purpose you’ve grown accustomed to.
Robotics, or my cringe “trying to be Elon” phase
The immediate 2 weeks after leaving an intense 10-year journey, I did what any healthy person does and met with over 70 investors and founders in robotics. I had been learning about robotics for quite some time and was positive I wanted to throw myself into giving computers arms and legs. I had come up with all the tag lines to delude myself into thinking this was my “life’s calling”. Everything had been “leading to this exact point”.
“The world is going through a major labor shortage!”
“We must stay competitive against China!”
“The market for highly repetitive labor is multiple trillions of dollars.”
At the end of the 2 weeks, I left feeling deflated and foolish. I didn’t want to start a robotics company. The only thing that seemed interesting to me was humanoids. It started to dawn on me that what I actually wanted was to look like Elon, and that is incredibly cringe. It hurts to even type this out.
Breaking up with my girlfriend and realizing I’m very insecure
After deciding to not start a robotics company, I found myself rudderless. No sense of direction. I traveled to many beautiful places with my loving and supportive (ex) girlfriend. This 6 month stretch could be several essays on its own, but the outcome of this period is that nothing seemed right.
We started getting into regular arguments, and I knew it wasn’t on her. It was me. I was starting to come to terms with all the mounting insecurities I had stuffed down over the past several years. I didn’t feel like I could work on them with her. So I broke things off after almost 2 years of unconditional love. It was extremely painful, but it was the right call. I needed to fully face myself.
I have only started to realize that, when Loom was in its early innings, I felt very secure with my position in life, and lots of this stemmed from an extreme gratitude for the journey I was on. I was happy with everything as it was. The growth trajectory of the company was more than I could ever dream for. I was happy. I felt secure. It could all turn to shit the next day, and that would be ok.
Then, as the company continued to skyrocket to new heights, I started to have growing expectations for myself, and others started to have growing expectations of me. When we went through our first round of layoffs, this company my ego was hitched to had suffered a massive blow, so I lost myself. This whole chapter of Loom has created a complex web of internalized insecurities I must now work hard to disentangle and free myself from.
(If my ex is reading this. Thank you for everything. I am sorry I couldn’t be what you needed me to be.)
Climbing mountains in the Himalayas, remembering to do hard things
After breaking up with my girlfriend, I did what any healthy person would do and decided to externalize my emotions by climbing a 6800m peak in the Himalayas with absolutely no mountaineering experience or training. In the earliest stages of trekking into the valley, before the altitude sickness, cold, and chronic bronchitis started to settle in, this seemed like the best idea in the world. It wasn’t until every person I met along the way asked how long I had been training for, that it started to settle in how insane what I was doing was.
Needless to say, there were some rough patches. I got very hypoxic on one of my summits and had to repel down cliff faces while tripping out of my mind. In the end, I pushed through, completed both my planned summits, and got reacquainted with how important doing hard things is to me. It is the heart beat of my life, and I don’t 100% understand why, but it probably has something to do with me having not the best childhood.
When I got back home and regaled my friends with my mountain stories, one of my friends joked that I should work for Elon and Vivek at DOGE and help America get off its current crash to defaulting on its own debt. So I reached out to some people and got in. After 8 calls with people who all talked fast and sounded very autistic smart, I was added to a number of Signal groups and immediately put to work.
Working for DOGE for 4 weeks, remembering the power of urgency
Within 2 minutes of talking to the final interviewer for DOGE, he asked me if I wanted to join. I said “yes”. Then he said “cool” and I was in multiple Signal groups. I was immediately acquainted with the software, HR, and legal teams and went from 0 to 100 taking meetings and getting shit done. This was the day before Thanksgiving.
The next 4 weeks of my life consisted of 100s of calls recruiting the smartest people I’ve ever talked to, working on various projects I’m definitely not able to talk about, and learning how completely dysfunctional the government was. It was a blast.
I learned about the power of urgency and having an undeniable mission. Not by reading it somewhere. By experiencing it. I came to realize how laughable my robotics stint had been in comparison. And I started to realize that, although the mission of DOGE is extremely important, it wasn’t the most important thing I needed to focus on with urgency for myself. I needed to get back to ambiguity, focus on my insecurities, and be ok with that for a while. DOGE wasn’t going to fix that.
So, after 4 intense and intoxicating weeks, I called off my plans to move to DC and embark on a journey to save our government with some of the smartest people I’ve ever met. And I booked a 1-way ticket to Hawaii.
Studying physics in the jungle, focusing on my insecurities
So now I’m in Hawaii. I’m learning physics. Why? The reason I tell myself is to build up my first principles foundation so I can start a company that manufactures real world things. It seems plausible, but I’m learning to just accept that I am happy learning physics. That’s the goal in and of itself. If it leads to nothing, that’s ok. If this means I’ll never do something as spectacular as Loom, so be it. It’s been too long since I’ve been completely raw and real with myself, so I’m applying a healthy dose of humility to everything I say and do. It’s the only thing that feels authentic.
However, there are some questions left unanswered.
Why did I need to do the absolute most to reach this point?
Why couldn’t I just leave Loom and say “I don’t know what I want to do next”?
Why do I feel the need to only be on a journey if it’s grand?
What is wrong with being insignificant?
Why is letting people down so hard?
I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.
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