If you're going to Kyoto, do this...
Hello from Tokyo!
This past week, we went to Kyoto, and it was beautiful.
But, if I were to go again, there is one thing I’d do differently…
I’d rent a bike or go on a bike tour.
Kyoto is the perfect city to bike around, and if you have the opportunity to do it, then it’s a must.
I saw many of the scooters that you can rent on apps, so that’s also a great option.
Another tip: If you’re ever in Japan and planning to go to Kyoto or Osaka (or any other part of Japan) by Shinkansen (bullet train), go to the north entrance of Tokyo Station and get help in the tourist information area. They’ll book all your Shinkansen tickets and give you recommendations on routes. It’s way easier and faster than doing it online. Tokyo Station is very close to a good ramen spot and the Imperial Palace, so you can do that on your way there.
If you’re reading this, then that means you are a paid subscriber to the newsletter, and I thank you so much for supporting me.
As a thank you, I’ll be giving you my Google Maps favorites. It’s filled with all my favorite places from all around the world, and i’m constantly updating it the more I travel.
I’m going to be continuing to share resources and tips that I’ve found valuable from traveling that I’ve never shared before.
Another benefit you gain from being subscribed to this newsletter is access to my database of quotes and journaling prompts that I’ve collected throughout the years:
📚 Books I read and recommendations
Since I didn’t share the books I read last week, this week I’ll be sharing the books I read over the last 2 weeks.
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber is a must-read if you are starting or have a business. It’s full of valuable information on how to systemize your business so it can run without you. But I think it could have been at least 50 pages shorter. Sarah's story about her pie store was only useful at first; later on, it turned into a waste of pages (not because they weren’t useful, but because it could have been explained in less pages). The other examples, however, like the hotel and the widget shop, were a lot better and worked a lot for the point they were trying to get across. But apart from those small critiques, it’s very useful. And I’ll help you create or restructure your business in a way where you don’t just create another job for yourself.
I Don't Want To Grow Up by Scott Stillman is for a very specific type of person: the person who doesn’t want to conform within the standard of society. The others may not enjoy it as much and will think it’s just this rich white guy taking advantage of his “privileges” (I don’t think that, but some people who have read this book do. Look at the reviews lol).
Not growing up is completely different than what we have been told it is, and this book helps you understand what that really means.
“What does it mean to grow up? Many things, to be sure. For me, it has always meant giving up on your dreams and facing reality. But whose reality? When we're young, we have dreams as big as the world.
Then, when we're older, we're told to face reality— as if our dreams and reality are in direct conflict.”
“Refusing to grow up is choosing to live-and experiencing every day with the playfulness and curiosity of a child. When we stop seeing the world as a playground, nature as a classroom, beauty in the mundane—we perish.”
- quotes from the book.
The book is a part memoir and part self-help. It turned out to be more self-help than I thought it was going to be, which isn’t a bad thing, but I didn’t read this book with the intention of reading self-help. However, the lessons resonated with me a lot because they were things I was thinking about before reading the book. It’s nothing ground-breaking or new for me. It’s pretty short (120 pages) and an easy read. But it was a fun read and time well spent.
One of the lesson that I resonated the most (because I was just thinking about this exact formula before reading) is about how to manifest what you want. Here’s a short summary in a step-by-step formula of one of the lessons from the book:
Intention/know what you want
Child-like amazement, daily thank-yous.
Take action
Follow the Breadcrumbs
Take action
Do your half, let the universe do its half.
It’s kind of like a super simplified version of Reality Transurfing.
Losing and Finding My Virginity by Richard Branson is crazy. This book takes you along on Richard Branson’s crazy adventures and all the businesses he has started throughout his life. All his adventures, business, and his attitude towards life is truly something to look up to. I love how he leads Virgin and his business philosophy! I had so much fun listening to it; it kept me entertained for 2 weeks!!! The audio quality isn’t the best, but the story and Branson’s life make up for it.
💬 Thought-Provoking Quote
“With enough time and enough money, you could spend the rest of your life following the summer around the world”.
🔮 Fun Activity
Derek Sivers, in his book Hell Yeah or No, mentions a concept called a possible futures list.
I occasionally get a big vision for my future — a huge project that will take many months or years. Something exciting and very worth doing.
I’ll do a bunch of research, make a bunch of plans, and feel like I’ve made a big decision on a new direction in life.
Then a month later, I have a completely different vision. Something unrelated to the previous one. Something I’m more excited about.
And the process repeats.
I used to feel bad about this. Like I should stop having new ideas for the future, and just stick with one. I used to feel bad for not acting on them.
Then I made a little change that made a big difference: on my computer, I made a folder called “Possible Futures.” For each big plan, I make a new file in that folder and put all of my ideas and research into it.
- SOURCE
I love this. I love daydreaming for the sake of daydreaming. There are so many things to do in this life that I literally can’t not have one of these lists.
When you don’t know which direction to take your life in, simply look at your possible futures and pick one.
I recommend making this list. It’s very fun!