Newsletter › #21
The Compound Effect: A Gratitude Journal
【What I've been up to】
Hi, Reader,
I hope this letter finds you well.
How was your week?
I've started running online book clubs in both Chinese and English,
and I'm busier than ever.
One of the things I love about creating content is that I keep learning —
it's a world away from what I learned working in finance.
It's all new to me;
I even learned to use OBS for livestreaming and recording.
Since it was my first time, there's a lot I could improve, so I wasn't happy with how I did.
But everything has a first time. As long as I get a little better each time, that's enough.
So I'll keep going, and I hope you'll grow along with me.
The recordings of the Chinese book club are on YouTube if you're interested.
I'd also encourage you to join the online sessions, where you can talk with me live.
If you're interested in the book club, send me a message and I'll send you the link,
or sign up through my links page.
Now, on to today's topic.
【A gratitude journal】
Do you keep a journal? You may have heard of a gratitude journal:
each night before bed, you write down three good things that happened that day and give thanks for them.
But the gratitude journal I want to share today is very special.
It's a story I read in Darren Hardy's The Compound Effect.
A friend of Darren's was complaining about his wife, saying she was the cause of all his unhappiness.
Darren shared something from his own life — an experience that changed his marriage.
One Thanksgiving, he decided to write a gratitude journal for his wife.
Every day he wrote down at least one thing he appreciated or admired about her:
the way she interacted with friends, how she cared for their dog, changing the sheets,
doing the family's laundry, making dinner, how lovely her hair looked that day, and so on.
Every day Darren deliberately noticed what his wife did that made him happy or touched him,
or the qualities, character or actions he especially appreciated that day.
He secretly kept this journal for a whole year.
The next Thanksgiving he gave it to her.
She was moved to tears and said it was the best gift she'd ever received —
better even than the BMW she'd got for her birthday.
But the person who benefited most from the gift was Darren himself.
Because he had to write one good thing about his wife every day,
he was forced to focus on her good side.
He deliberately looked, in everyday life, for the things she did well and did right,
and that made him fall in love with her again — even more than before.
Darren discovered the subtle details of her life that are easy to miss, not just her obvious traits.
Every day he used his heart and eyes to appreciate and be grateful for the best of her,
which made them get along better and gave them a better marriage.
They had the best year of their marriage.
All because Darren chose to spend five minutes a day recording his wife's best moments.
When his friend heard this, he decided to do the same and started a gratitude journal for his wife.
A few months later, he saw his wife completely differently.
Focusing on her good qualities changed how he saw her,
changed how they interacted, and in the end changed their marriage for the better.
After reading this story, I realized that my gratitude journals had always been about good things happening to me.
I'd never thought of writing about other people's good qualities.
When I took the Dale Carnegie course, the teacher said that to anyone, the sweetest sound is their own name,
because as humans we have a built-in need to love and be respected. When someone remembers your name, it shows they value you.
When we write down someone's good qualities, we're also sending a message: you're wonderful, and you matter to me.
If you have a partner, I strongly recommend writing a gratitude journal for them.
It changes how you see them — and maybe in less than a year, your relationship will be better.
I hope you have a happy, fulfilling relationship.
This week's episode
#66 | The price of admission for long-term investing: volatility and fear (The Psychology of Money #7)
Be reasonable rather than rational, plan for the fact that you will change, and accept that volatility and fear are the fee you pay for long-term returns.
Read the full show notes in English › (the episode is in Mandarin Chinese)
🍎Apple Podcasts
🎧Spotify
🎦YouTube
Gear I recommend
⚡️ MONITORMATE MP-31 / MP-21 GaN smart fast chargers
I got these recently and I really like them, so I want to share them with you.
When I traveled abroad, I used to carry several charging bricks.
From now on I'll take just one MP-31, because 140W is enough for all my devices —
MacBook Air, iPad, iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch.
It's 40% smaller than the original chargers, only 200 g, and supports PD 3.2 fast charging.
When I'm working from a café, I take the MP-21:
70W is enough for my MacBook Air and iPhone,
and it's even smaller and lighter — only 132 g.
Recommended if you work on the move.
Here are the details —
【Flagship performance: MP-31 | 140W】
Top output: up to 140W from a single port — the first choice for charging a MacBook Pro at full speed.
No re-handshake: unplugging one device doesn't interrupt power to the others, so your screen never flickers.
For professionals: supports PD 3.2 AVS.
【Light and versatile: MP-21 | 70W】
Ultra-light: not much bigger than an egg — slips easily into a pocket or small bag.
The sweet spot: 70W output, perfect for fast-charging a MacBook Air and iPhone.
Great for going out: travel light.
🔥 What both share:
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3️⃣ GaN technology: cool, efficient and compact.
Your bag deserves a smarter power partner.
Choose the MP-31 for uninterrupted flagship power, or the MP-21 for a light, elegant display.
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That's it for this issue of the FIRE Life Weekly.
If you have any questions about the show or the newsletter,
just write to me at doug@firetw.com.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Have a lovely day,
and see you next time.
Doug