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A Controversial Visual
1 Life-Changing Question to Ask Yourself this Weekend
Hello friends, it’s Michael here!
Today’s newsletter features one of the most controversial visuals that I’ve ever posted, but first…
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In last week’s issue, I shared that I was feeling in a generous mood so I’m giving away a copy of my e-book!
I’ll select a name at random next Saturday 25 November 2023 and email the winner!
So enter using the link above, then keep an eye on your email inbox (including your junk folder).
Now let’s get WISER together!
From Controversy to Contemplation
I remember when I first shared this visual.
I had only been posting them for a couple of weeks when I was met with some criticism, but there was also some meaningful feedback.
So I worked on the visual to make the message clearer, then shared it again a few months later.
Oh boy… I could not have imagined how much it was going to trigger people.
Here’s a version of that visual:

After over 100 comments, many of which were educating me of my prejudice, I found myself questioning this visual.
But before I go on to explain this visual, I should share that a good visual doesn’t need any explanation.
This is not one of my best, but I stand behind the meaning of the visual.
Allow me to explain…
⌚️ The Meaning Behind the Visual
This visual originated from a quote that Steven Bartlett shared in his podcast episode with Strava founder Michael Horvarth.
You can watch the full podcast here:
The part I want to draw your attention to is when Steven shared why he sold his Rolex and purchased an Apple Watch.
“It went from being about signalling my status to others to caring about my health.”
You can see how I came up with the visual based on this quote, but I recognise that there’s a lot of things that you could dislike about it:
You might dislike Steven Bartlett
You could love Rolexes because of their craftsmanship
You may see Apple products as a status symbol
But let’s look past those objections for a moment. There’s something more important we can learn from this.
🤨 Do You Know Why You Purchase Things?
The key principle of wisdom that I’d encourage you to reflect on is whether you are aware of why you purchase things.
I haven’t always been.
Confession time: I have spent A LOT of money on FIFA points.
This is an in-game currency used to buy packs and players to use in a game called FIFA Ultimate Team.
I was essentially using real money to buy digital items that are only really useful for a year maximum.
I am not sure exactly how much I spent, but it was certainly hundreds.
And why did I spend all this money?
Because I wanted the recognition of my friends that I was the best FIFA player.
I was spending hundreds and hundreds on this in-game currency all because I wanted to impress people around me.
This also happened to coincide with one of the lowest seasons of my life. You could call this a coincidence, but I suspect that wasting a lot of money so that others thought more of me played a part in my low mood.
This recent tweet by The Minimalists sums it up well:
How miserable are you willing to be to impress the people around you?
— The Minimalists (@TheMinimalists)
10:00 PM • Nov 15, 2023
⌛️ When Things Changed
After a few years of wasting money on a game that I didn’t enjoy, I ended up selling my games console.
The very next day I bought my first camera with that money to motivate myself to get outside more and start capturing the beauty in the world.
I went from spending money to impress those around me and struggling to find reasons to live to spending money on capturing the beauty of this world and immortalising the reasons to live.

Long exposure taken at the base of Sgùrr na Sgine, Scotland
When I became aware of why I was spending my money, I found a better use for it.
Can you say the same for yourself?
Given that this weekend, many of us will get our wallets and purses out to make the most of the attractive discounts.
I implore you to take a moment before making any purchase to reflect on why you are actually making a purchase.
Here are a few questions to think through:
✍️ Journal Prompts
• Do you know what motivates your purchases?
• What are my values? What’s most important to me?
• What was the last big purchase that you made?
• Does that purchase align with your values?
Consider journaling through the above questions yourself.
👍 Recommendations
This is where I recommend products or services that I believe will help you to get wiser.
This week I’m sharing a couple of purchases that I made 3 years ago and I haven’t looked back.
The first are Moleskine Cahier Pocket Journals.
These are cheap, inexpensive notebooks that allow you to start the life-changing habit of journaling.
And even better, they’re small enough to fit in a pocket or handbag so you’ll always be able to journal when you need to process something!
You can find them here:
The second product is a pocketable pen, but this one is my favourite.
The Fisher Space Pen was designed to be small, well-made and compact enough for astronauts to take them to space.
They use pressurised ink cartridges so they can write upside down, or on wet surfaces.
But the main reason I use them is because it fits neatly in my pocket.
No more digging down the side of a sofa to try and find a pen - you always have a great pen on you!
Now they are on the pricey side, but a nice pen is a forever pen.
Please note: you do not need a special pen to start journaling. I only recommend getting a nicer one so that you can make the idea of journaling more attractive.
If you’re interested in treating yourself to a nice pen in the sales, buy one here:
* Please note that these may be affiliate links. Purchasing through these links could support Wisdom Made Easy encourage more people to get wiser.
✍️ What I’m Working On
The main thing that I am working on is some healthier rhythms.
I’m looking forward to sharing more about this in an upcoming issue, but that’s all for now.
I’m off to enjoy a restful Sabbath with my beautiful wife.
Ciao!
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😊 Thank You!
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Catch you in the next issue!
Thanks,
Michael
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