Hacking Happiness [Smarter #4]
Summary: Being happy and in flow literally makes your life longer (and arguably, better).
Friends,
May you live a happy, long life. This edition tells you how. Because, I like you.
That being said, yes I personally wrote this. Not AI.
You're a C-suite, serial entrepreneur, or world impactor who maximizes your life by working smarter, not harder.
Who am I again? Bio in the newsletter footer.
Just catching up? Start with [Smarter #1]. Really.
Smarter Time Management
This isn't about email efficiency or meal prepping for the week. It's about being smart with your life. It's answering the question: When you're on your deathbed, what will you be happy you spent your lifetime doing? Finding that answer extends both the quality and quantity of your life, without the salads and marathons.
We all want to be happy. The recipe for happiness is detailed in this article with the self-explanatory title Flow as the Secret to Happiness (Dunne, 2022; British Columbia Medical Journal). BC Medical Journal
What's the benefit of happiness, besides the obvious? Any simple Google (or AI) search already tells us happy people live longer. To save you the trouble, another study found “Happiness was significantly associated with lower mortality (adjusted for age, sex, and ethnicity).” (Song et al., 2023; BMC Geriatrics). BioMed Central
For all the age-hacking tricks and longevity tips promoted by everyone from your doctor to your favorite Instagram celebrity, maximizing flow state certainly seems most delightful.
What does this all have to do with you, dear reader? First, this is a nudge for you to focus on your own recipes of flow and happiness. Second, if you ever ask yourself if you make a difference in anyone's life, the answer is yes. Here's why.
The Truth About AI Passive Income
Do I truly believe AI passive income is the answer to early retirement? If AI could generate enough income to truly retire early, AI geniuses with a lot more tech savviness than I would have already done so. For fast, easy money, crypto would have been a much smarter move. Plus, AI still requires the hand-holding of a human. The last time I checked, neither Sam Altman CEO of OpenAI nor the Google Gemini team are retired on the beach sipping an umbrella drink. Even Jensen Huang, CEO of “selling shovels during a Gold Rush” NVIDIA, spends more time navigating political minefields than on a golf course eating bonbons.
So why do I pursue AI passive income? It's a fun intellectual challenge mixed with the realities of a lottery ticket. Hacking AI passive income is like winning the prize at the carnival game. We chase the euphoria of achievement. But in all practicality, it would have been a lot less wasteful of time and money just buying the stuffed animal on Amazon. But that would be less fun. Or memorable.
Simply, solving the AI puzzle is a game to me. One that would be fun winning.
Why do I insist on manually writing a newsletter documenting my AI passive income discoveries? AI could clearly write about the topic. AI has arguably more authority about AI than I do. Plus, ironic to the topic, I don't make any money on this newsletter. Hours in exchange for zero income is the definition of non-passive, no-income. Setting up a neighborhood lemonade stand would have been more profitable.
The Answer in One Word: Flow
For me, writing is like building the castle I picture in my head. Words are my Legos. My typing fingers maneuver the Lego pieces until they’re just right. Wordsmithing is surprisingly fun for me. It’s like a game of mental Tetris.
I immerse myself in an incredible state of flow, only to look up and realize I’m hours overdue on my daily to-dos as well as my lunch. It’s probably the way teenage boys get immersed in video games. Only, I assure you, writers make a lot less money than Twitch streamers.
Why You Change My Life
Manually writing brings me joy. Hearing from readers who find the newsletter interesting and helpful makes me happy. The combination of these falls within my personal definition of time well spent. Even better, it’s a way to stretch my lifespan. It’s certainly more enjoyable than the gym. That’s why I happily publish weekly-ish newsletters at zero income and negative profit. It’s the same reason hobbyist bakers iterate apple pie recipes until they get it just right. There is satisfaction, pride, and delight in watching friends benefit from your fruits of labor.
Going back to you: what creates your own states of flow? Doing more of it seems like a great way to spend your time. And your life.
Other Smarts
Smarter Ask: All this negative-income talk leads to an obvious topic. Newsletters make money through advertising. It's no different than how my former employer, Google, prints billions a year in the form of online ads. Could I make money through ads on this newsletter? It's a worthy experiment. If you’d like to be my collaborator and first advertiser, I'll dedicate an entire newsletter documenting the experience.
This ask isn't about the money. Not only would a consulting project (or W-2 job) surely be more lucrative than my first ad placement, I’ll continue write even if for free. Though to be clear, I am explicitly asking for money in exchange for the brand mention.(i.e., Smarter Asking Your Worth and Smarter Negotiations).
Want to be my first sponsor? It would be so much fun. Plus, just know I would love you forever for it.
Smarter Compliment: I’ve received very nice replies after every Smarter newsletter from readers who gained, learned, or were amused by that week’s content. Getting kind words from a creative endeavor means so much more than a thumbs-up from a boss (sorry, former bosses!). So the next time you see an artist online, in a shop, or with a tip jar in the subway, send them a kind word or a genuine smile if you mean it. It’ll mean more to them than you know.
Smarter Free Food: Or, if you’re really smart about it, give a genuine compliment to your mother after she cooks your favorite dish. Not only will it mean the world to her, you’ll likely get that home-cooked dish more often. That’s a smart win-win.
Until next time,
Rachel
References
Dunne, C. (2022, October 31). Flow as the secret to happiness. British Columbia Medical Journal. https://bcmj.org/editorials/flow-secret-happiness. BC Medical Journal
Song, C. F., Tay, P. K. C., Gwee, X., Wee, S. L., & Ng, T. P. (2023). Happy people live longer because they are healthy people. BMC Geriatrics, 23, Article 440. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04030-w. BioMed Central
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Rachel Loui is a former Google executive and life sciences Chief Strategy Officer. Today, she uses those experiences to help companies strategically deploy AI and human neuroscience to save time and make money at Strategic Growth Factor. She’s also an improv comedian, international keynote speaker, and book author. Her true passion is trying life experiments, writing about them, and (hopefully) inspiring her readers. Thus, while AI is amazing, this newsletter will always be 100% finger-typed by Rachel Loui. When it comes to human stories, your eyeballs deserve the best.
General disclaimer
The information contained in this newsletter is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. All information is provided in good faith; however, we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, or completeness of any information. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
