I have spent the last couple weeks living in LA. As many of you know, my home is in Nebraska. I love it in Husker Nation (Nebraska's mascot) so I never thought I would fall in love with California so quickly. Like head over heels, love at first kinda bull$h1t.
Don't judge me. Keep reading.
The first time I came to Cali was 3 weeks ago. Now I am back, been here for 1 week now, and on my 5th Airbnb.
My buddy Pierre, the buddy who is helping me get established in LA
I am out here for a bunch of different reasons...
- I bought the hype...
- Chiefly, to negotiate on behalf of our company, Embermine, on several deals...
- Pitch a crypto game to my friends that specializes in this kinda thing...
- Put together a marketing and brand promotional company in the space...
- Find interested parties to project i've been working on stealth mode for sometime now dealing with resources + blockchain...
- PLUS all the interesting opportunities that being apart of a men's entrepreneur and VC group in LA affords...
So I've been having to dash around the city to catch meetings with people who want to collaborate or invest... Through all that running around... the stress of traveling and performing at a high level was catching up to me.
I was starting to see things as problems rather than opportunities.... I'd start to think, "man I gotta drive around the city all day," and really start FUD ing hard (Fear-Uncertainty-Doubt).
Me in our current Airbnb, the 5th one in 3 weeks
Today it got bad. Our stay with a friend fell through and we were forced to find an Airbnb at the last moment. The whole thing was a mess... we spent the rest of the day looking for a suitable spot to work (one that has what we need, is close to where we need to be, and has competitive pricing #startuplife). By the time we finally got to our Airbnb, it had become comical to Pierre and myself how everything today decided to go as poorly as it could. Truly a series of unfortunate events.
Me mustering a smile + kombucha bottle. As folks from California can attest, kombucha is life here.
At some part during the drama, I realized that even though things didn't go great today.. it was no reason to FUD and be unhappy. I was tired and I really wanted these things to work out and so I let it be too important. Instead of thinking that it is a chore, i should be excited that I get to explore and live in so many different parts..
It's always interesting to me to have that moment of realization where I am like... "Shoot.. all that FOMO and FUD was me... everything is okay/people still love me/it's not the end"
"why am i FOMO-ing? I have delicious korean food."
Wanting everything to be as we WANT them to be always f!@ks that thing up.
In Buddhism, we say desire is the root of all suffering.
If you've read, "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F," Mark Mason calls it the "backwards" law.
When I am teach it to people, I put it as DESIRE is Negation.
Basically... Desire, or what you think you need to feel whole again in the matrix (aka life), messes with you in many ways.
Pierre and I, behind the scenes at KENRADIO's Voice of Disruption. Ken also hosts COIN DMZ - a killer podcast. "Why FUD? I do cool sh1t."
Girl tells herself she wants to be pretty ----> and in doing so ADMITS and Affirms to herself that she is UGLY.
Dude says I am not scared ----> and in doing so tells his physiology that he should be scared... cause SH1t, it's so scary, I gotta tell myself, I am not scared.
....Examples go on to ∞
Indian food at the Banana Leaf in the Farmers Market in Hollywood. Fried onion bits. Food made w/ love. "Buy the hype. There are still new things to try"
I am telling you this because this is the kind of thing we do all day everyday. I was just fud-ing about life... But then i really just took a step back to see the big picture... man I have a lot to be grateful for. Like being in the right place and time, having amazing parents made sure I could grow up in this country, not lacking in the facilities of the intellect, being apart of some fantastic protjects, etc to ∞
FUDING or FOMO.... Remember you control the hype. :D
https://www.instagram.com/p/BffS24bgouE/?taken-by=lhoang91
Short clip of us hiking in Malibu with new friends. "HoDL. The climb is beautiful"
So how do we make it?
I don't know. I'll tell you when I get there.
Right now, I know My life is awesome. And so is yours.
Don't let anyone tell you your sh1t don't stink like everyone else's.
Universal blessings
Best regards,
Mal402
P.S. - Tomorrow, i'll show you guys the outside of my bungalow Airbnb. It's too dark atm. Also, I'll show you guys the educational stuff I have been working on for my corporate clients. No promises though.