At the start of 2024, I remember saying that I wanted to bed processes down and establish better routines. In other words, I didn’t feel the need to push the boat out too much—I wanted to focus on consolidation. It’s funny, then, that when I review the year, I feel sombre because I’m not sure … More Annual Reflection 24/25: To Strive or not to Strive?
Before fatherhood I did not feel lucky Fortunate perhaps Loved of course But not lucky Little man in arms The wonders of creation are unfolding in front of my eyes Inquisitive gaze Gleeful smile Pure instinct at every turn With Rumi The self doubt as faded Belly Laughter Tears of joy Transmuting trust and instinct … More Lucky Father
Remarkable year! I set myself goals and I met most of them, which is very rewarding. Yet, at the end of the year I feel battered and bruised by the financial experience dealt by markets in 2022. But there is no point in beating myself up about past mistakes. There are a ton of lessons … More I did it my way | 2022 Personal Review
David has an incredible ability to tease out the nuances in human experience, which adds a richness to my life. I particularly love the way he describes the ‘shadows’ that lie beneath every meaningful experience. One could argue that this focus on the darker elements of life is intense, depressing or negative but I find … More The Three Marriages by David Whyte
Some books are like a friend sitting on next to your bedside table. They soothe you each night as you go to sleep and smile at you in the morning when you wake. They provide words of wisdom and encouragement but also push you forward confidently into the unknown future. Anam Cara is one of … More Anam Cara by John O’Donohue
As time passes I invest more and more energy figuring out the ways in which my mind and the narratives it produces hold me back from what I want to achieve. Mindfulness teachers will often talk about the benefits of breaking our patterns of identification. Well, here is a specific example I have noticed where … More Broken Identification Habits
I’ve followed Jawad on twitter for years but engaged with his material infrequently until 2020. What can I say, there’s a lot of content on twitter and my attention was drawn elsewhere in the past… Through 2020 I’ve been acutely drawn to this work and I loved reading Stray Reflections. It’s not really a personal … More Stray Reflections by Jawad Mian
Really enjoyed this Grant Williams podcast with Chris Cole. In fact, all Grant’s interviews in this series are worth listening to (more than once). There’s a lot of info I didn’t fully understand in this interview. Options and derivatives aren’t my strong point, but the interaction between these variables, volatility, monetary policy, macro and market … More Chris Cole on derivatives, volatility, market structure and regime change
Another brilliant piece of work by the master, Thomas Sowell. Quite a theoretical book but an incredibly useful framework. I’ve observed numerous recent events through Sowell’s visions since I started reading the book. The ability for ideas to immediately infiltrate one’s framework and lexicon is a true hallmark of greatness. A vision is our natural … More A Conflict of Visions by Thomas Sowell
An intriguing portrayal of isolation and estrangement. Humans yearn to be understood and experience intense difficulty when we’re unable to communicate, particularly to those closest to us. Sometimes we attempt proactive communication and almost succeed. We simplify the message, if we even know what it is, and we vocalise the challenge, if we can find … More The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
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