Over the years, I’ve come to realize something that’s quietly changed my life: I prefer to be happy than to be right.

It didn’t happen overnight. I’ve always had a sharp mind and a strong opinion about, well, almost everything. I used to thrive on debate, feeling a surge of satisfaction when I could prove a point or win an argument. It wasn’t even about showing off (at least not always). I genuinely believed that being right mattered — that facts and logic were the highest virtues.

But slowly, life taught me otherwise. Not through a single grand epiphany, but through dozens of small, humbling moments. Arguments that lingered longer than they should have. Relationships that felt more strained than supported. A quiet, nagging feeling that even when I won, I lost something.

The truth is, being right can come at a cost — especially when it means making someone else feel wrong. And when that someone is a friend, a partner, a child, or a colleague, the cost often outweighs the benefit.

Choosing happiness doesn’t mean abandoning truth or lowering standards. It means knowing when to let go. It means asking myself: “Is this really worth it? Is the outcome I’m chasing going to bring me peace or just momentary satisfaction?”

These days, I pick my battles more carefully. I listen more. I let others have the last word. Sometimes I even smile and nod, knowing full well I disagree — not out of resignation, but out of love. Out of the understanding that connection matters more than correction.

This doesn’t mean I’m a pushover. I’ll still stand up when it counts. But I’ve learned the wisdom in pausing, in giving space, in prioritizing harmony over ego.

At the end of the day, I’d rather sleep well than feel smug. I’d rather have peace in my home and heart than be crowned the champion of a trivial dispute. And funny enough, the more I’ve leaned into this mindset, the more right my life has felt.

So yes, I still value truth. But I value joy more. I value love more. I value the quiet power of choosing happiness — even when I could have been right.

A Conversation on Timing, Priorities, and the Pursuit of a Meaningful Life

I have many friends approaching midlife, and a good number of those who are not yet married and raising kids are grappling with the question of whether it’s too late to find the right partner, have children, and build a life that balances love, ambition, and stability.

It’s a conversation that many successful, independent, and driven individuals—especially women—find themselves having as they near 40. There’s a cultural narrative that suggests we must have it all figured out by a certain age: love, career, family, financial security. But real life is not always so neatly packaged.

Let’s break down the key concerns and explore them from different angles. I will be focusing more on women as the simple truth is that men have less of a biological clock ticking in the background. While I do strongly believe that it is best for men to have their kids between the ages of 25 and 40 so as to be able to maximise their time with kids and the physical ability to do things with them, they have more flexibility in delaying the big decisions.

So let’s go ahead and consider some typical questions that women approaching their 40s might be dwelling upon.

1. Have I Missed My Chance to Have Children?

The biological clock is real, but it’s not a doomsday device. While fertility naturally declines with age, medical advancements like egg freezing, IVF, and other fertility treatments have made having children later in life more possible than ever. Many women today are having healthy pregnancies in their 40s.

More important than biology, though, is the question: Do you truly want children, or do you feel like you “should” have them?

Having kids is an enormous, life-altering decision—one that requires emotional and practical readiness. It’s worth deeply reflecting on whether your desire is based on personal fulfillment or societal expectations.

If the answer is yes—you truly want children—then the next step is taking proactive measures. Whether that means assessing your fertility now, freezing eggs, or considering alternative paths like surrogacy or adoption, there are options.

2. Did I Spend Too Much Time Chasing the Wrong Things?

I do believe that modern feminism has gone too far and glorified the working woman over the stay-at-home mum who devotes all her time to raising kids. For most families, a traditional setup of working husband and stay-at-home mum is the ideal to aim for. I know it’s a controversial opinion, but I’m standing by it.

Having said that, if as a woman, you’re approaching your 40s and feeling a tinge of regret at spending the past twenty years focusing on your career and other things that society pushes women to aim for, all is not lost. The most important thing is to realize the lie of feminism. Your past—whether it was prioritizing career, travel, or unconventional relationships—isn’t a mistake. It was simply the path you took to get here. Regret is a tricky thing; it tricks us into believing that we should have known then what we only learned now.

The key takeaway isn’t that you “wasted time.” It’s that you’ve now gained the clarity to prioritize what truly matters to you going forward.

Instead of lamenting the past, focus on the present: What do you want now, and how do you align your actions to make it happen?

3. Will My Relationship History Scare Off Potential Partners?

There’s no sugarcoating it—dating in your late 30s and early 40s comes with different dynamics than in your 20s. But it’s not a death sentence for finding love.

Your relationship history isn’t a liability—it’s part of your story. It’s true that some men might prefer a “clean slate,” especially when talking about previous marriages or having kids, but the right man will see your experiences as growth rather than baggage. When we date someone we don’t only look at the statistics of that person; we get to know their story.

The question isn’t whether your past relationships will scare someone off. It’s whether you’re looking for someone who values the person you’ve become because of those experiences.

4. Is It Too Late to Find Someone to Build a Life With?

The idea that love and meaningful relationships are reserved for people under 30 is simply false. People are finding love—and starting families—later in life more than ever.

What’s more important than age is alignment: finding a partner who shares your vision, values, and long-term goals.

The thing here is that most women who have delayed kids and possibly relationships have done so due to prioritizing things like career and travel. So we have to consider whether finding someone who fits into that life is possible. Unless the woman is ready to make a drastic change to her lifestyle, she will be seeking to form a “power couple” dynamic. This entails building a life, a business, and a family together.

It’s absolutely possible, but it requires a level of intentionality in dating that many people don’t practice.

Instead of approaching dating from a place of fear (“Am I too late?”), reframe it:

• What kind of partner would thrive in the life I envision?
• Where would I realistically meet someone like this?
• How can I communicate my vision and desires clearly from the start?

Dating with purpose means being upfront about what you want, filtering out mismatches early, and focusing only on those who share your goals.

5. Can You Have Kids and Still Build a Business?

Raising kids while running a business is challenging—but doable. Many of the most successful entrepreneurs have found ways to integrate family life with their professional ambitions.

However, there are trade-offs. The idea of a high-intensity startup while raising young kids is unrealistic. But a sustainable, well-structured business? Absolutely.

It helps to be clear about expectations:

• Would you be okay stepping back from full-time entrepreneurship while raising young children?
• Would your ideal partner be able (and willing) to take on more of the financial load during this period?
• Could you build a business that operates more passively rather than requiring constant hands-on work?

With the right strategy, you can have both—a fulfilling career and a family. But the key is designing your business model around the life you want, not the other way around.

6. How Do I Transition from a Nomadic Lifestyle to Stability?

If you’ve spent years traveling and embracing an adventurous lifestyle, transitioning to a more stable, family-oriented life can feel overwhelming. But it’s entirely possible. The key is to be intentional about where you settle, who you surround yourself with, and how you adjust your routines.

Some steps to consider:

• Choose a base that aligns with your long-term goals. For example, if the Mediterranean is your preference, focus on a city or town that offers both stability and community. You’re unlikely to find your long-term power couple partner in a rural village in Italy. However, places like Barcelona offer a wide range of possibilities and can accelerate your transition.
• Surround yourself with like-minded individuals. Join groups, attend local meetups, and immerse yourself in a community that values both entrepreneurship and family.
• Adjust your mindset from constant movement to deep-rooted fulfillment. Being settled doesn’t mean losing excitement—it means shifting toward meaningful engagement in a chosen place.

Making this transition isn’t about “giving up” travel; it’s about integrating it into a more balanced lifestyle.

Final Thoughts

You haven’t “missed your chance.” You’re just at a crossroads where intentional decisions matter more than ever. I would say that most people start asking questions around this point in their life, whatever their life situation is. I certainly went through and am still going through this period of asking many questions and realigning my life to make sure I transition gracefully into the second half of my life. Be cognizant that you’re in the same boat as everyone else, and forget about what people might say or think. I went out and bought a sports car when I turned 40, and it was the best decision I ever made. I love that car and it’s giving me awesome experiences. People want to call it a midlife crisis car? No problem; the important thing is how I feel and how my family feels about things.

Instead of seeing midlife as an endpoint, consider it a turning point—a time to realign your life with what truly matters to you.

Some people get everything lined up early, but many don’t find their stride until their 40s or later. So take stock realistically of your situation, strengths and weaknesses, and be very specific of what you want for the future, then take the appropriate steps to get there.

What matters is not where you are today, but what you do next.

Yes, I believe that plastic recycling is one of the many scams governments and the corporations that are in cahoots with them have fed us. Read on to understand why.

The Origins of the Plastic Recycling Myth

The myth of plastic recycling wasn’t born out of environmental concern. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, oil and petrochemical giants—think Exxon and Shell—found themselves under fire for the environmental havoc their products were wreaking. They didn’t double down on fixing the problem. Instead, they pivoted to deflection, launching massive PR campaigns that pointed the finger at us, the consumers.

These campaigns introduced the now-ubiquitous recycling triangle symbol, subtly convincing us that if we just sorted and cleaned our plastics correctly, everything would be fine. What they didn’t tell us was that the majority of plastics can’t actually be recycled. But the strategy worked. The public embraced recycling while corporations continued to churn out billions of tons of disposable plastics, guilt-free.

Why Plastic Recycling is Broken

Unlike materials like glass or aluminum, most plastics degrade with each recycling cycle. At best, they’re “downcycled” into low-grade items like park benches or synthetic fibers, which can’t be recycled again. And the statistics are damning: less than 10% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled, according to a 2022 OECD report. The rest? It’s clogging landfills, choking marine life, or being burned, releasing toxic chemicals into the atmosphere.

Why? Because most types of plastic are either too contaminated or too expensive to recycle. The process is complicated, inefficient, and simply not designed to handle the flood of plastic waste we produce every single day. It’s not just inefficient; it’s economically impractical. Virgin plastic—made from fossil fuels—is far cheaper to produce, thanks to massive subsidies for oil and gas. Recycling, on the other hand, requires complex sorting, cleaning, and remanufacturing processes that cost far more than simply making new plastic. And because of these costs, only a narrow range of plastics—typically PET and HDPE—are deemed worth recycling. The rest, from your yogurt cups to cling film, is destined for the dump no matter how diligently you separate it.

Understanding the Different Types of Plastic

To truly grasp the scale of the recycling problem, it’s important to understand the different types of plastic and their recyclability. Plastics are categorized by Resin Identification Codes (RICs), the numbers inside the familiar recycling triangle. Here’s what those numbers actually mean:

• PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate): Commonly used for water bottles and food containers. PET is one of the few plastics that can be recycled efficiently, but even then, only a fraction actually gets processed.
• HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene): Found in milk jugs, shampoo bottles, and cleaning product containers. Like PET, HDPE is easier to recycle and often accepted by most recycling programs.
• PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride): Used for pipes, window frames, and some packaging. PVC is rarely recycled due to the release of harmful chemicals during the process.
• LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene): Common in plastic bags, cling film, and some packaging. LDPE recycling is limited and not widely available.
• PP (Polypropylene): Found in yogurt containers, bottle caps, and straws. While technically recyclable, it’s often not accepted because it’s less economically viable.
• PS (Polystyrene): Used for foam cups, takeout containers, and packing peanuts. Polystyrene is almost never recycled due to its fragility and the difficulty of processing it.
• Other (Miscellaneous): Includes mixed plastics like polycarbonate and bioplastics. This category is essentially non-recyclable and typically ends up in landfills.

Even with the best intentions, the reality is that only plastics #1 and #2 are recycled at any meaningful scale. The rest are simply discarded, perpetuating the illusion that we can recycle our way out of the plastic crisis.

Are Plastic Bag Bans and Biodegradable Plastics the Answer?

In recent years, many governments have rolled out bans on plastic bags in supermarkets, positioning them as a key step in tackling plastic waste. But critics argue that these bans sometimes serve as more of a PR move than a genuine environmental solution. For one, shoppers often replace banned plastic bags with alternatives like paper or thicker reusable plastic bags, which can have an even higher environmental footprint if not reused extensively. The net effect? We may simply be swapping one waste problem for another.

And what about biodegradable plastics? At first glance, they seem like an ideal compromise—plastics that can break down naturally in the environment. But the reality is more complicated. Most biodegradable plastics require specific industrial composting conditions to decompose, conditions that are often unavailable. In many cases, these materials act just like regular plastics in landfills and oceans, persisting for decades. Worse yet, the “biodegradable” label can encourage more single-use consumption by giving people the false impression that these products are harmless.

The Link Between Plastics and Unhealthy Consumption

Plastic pollution isn’t just an environmental issue; it’s deeply tied to our modern consumption habits. A significant portion of the plastic waste we generate comes from items like soft drinks, takeout containers, and heavily packaged supermarket foods. These are often convenience items—products of a fast-paced lifestyle that prioritizes ease over sustainability or health. Ironically, many of these items, from sugary drinks to processed snacks, are things we shouldn’t be consuming in the first place due to their negative impact on health.

Encouraging a shift toward healthier eating habits—favoring fresh, unpackaged foods—could significantly reduce our reliance on single-use plastics. By addressing our addiction to convenience, we not only improve personal well-being but also tackle the systemic overproduction of plastic. It’s a win-win that underscores how deeply interconnected these issues are.

Is Home Recycling Useless?

If you’ve ever wondered whether the waste separation you diligently do at home is pointless, the answer isn’t black and white. For plastics, the sobering reality is that much of what you separate will not be recycled. As mentioned earlier, only plastics labeled #1 and #2 have a real shot at being processed, while the rest often ends up in landfills or incinerators, regardless of your efforts. This can make recycling feel like a futile exercise, especially when the system itself is so broken.

However, separating your waste isn’t entirely useless. Materials like aluminum, glass, and paper are recycled far more efficiently and consistently than plastic. By ensuring these materials are correctly sorted, you are contributing to a circular economy for those resources. Additionally, household recycling serves as a visible reminder of the waste we generate, which can motivate individuals to adopt more sustainable consumption habits.

What really matters, though, is going beyond the blue bin. Focus on reducing your reliance on single-use items entirely. Choose reusable alternatives, support businesses that prioritize sustainable practices, and advocate for systemic changes that hold corporations accountable for the waste they produce. Individual action, while not the sole solution, is still a meaningful part of the larger push for change.

In my case, for example, I’ve chosen to use re-usable containers for my daily healthy food deliveries rather than one-time use plastic packaging.

The Human and Environmental Cost

If the system wasn’t bad enough already, the true cost of this sham is often paid by developing countries. Wealthier nations export their “recyclable” plastic waste to poorer regions, where it’s frequently dumped or burned, poisoning local communities. Meanwhile, microplastics—tiny fragments of degraded plastic—have infiltrated the food chain, the air we breathe, and even human bloodstreams. The fallout is staggering: entire ecosystems ravaged, wildlife populations decimated, and human health increasingly at risk.

What’s worse, corporations continue to offload the blame onto us. By focusing on individual behavior, they obscure the real issue: systemic overproduction. We’re told it’s our responsibility to recycle better when, in reality, the sheer volume of plastic being produced far outpaces the system’s ability to process it.

Breaking the Cycle: What Needs to Change

1. Reduce Plastic Production: Single-use plastics must be phased out, starting with unnecessary items like packaging and cutlery. Policies like the EU’s ban on single-use plastics are a start, but the scale of the problem demands more aggressive action.
2. Hold Corporations Accountable: Companies that profit from plastic must be forced to clean up their act. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, which mandate that manufacturers manage the waste their products generate, could shift the burden from taxpayers to the corporations that created the problem.
3. Push for Systemic Change: Recycling won’t fix this. Governments need to incentivize reusable alternatives and invest in innovation. Meanwhile, consumers must push back against corporate narratives that place the onus on individual behavior.

Final Thoughts

The promise of plastic recycling is one of the most successful lies ever sold. It’s given us a false sense of security while the plastic industry continues to wreak havoc on the environment. The real solution is uncomfortable and inconvenient: producing less plastic, holding corporations accountable, and fundamentally rethinking our consumption habits. But it’s the only way forward.

If we truly want to tackle the plastic crisis, we have to let go of the comforting lie. Recycling isn’t the answer—it’s a distraction from the real problem. The fight against plastic pollution demands bold, systemic change, and the first step is seeing the scam for what it really is.

I usually don’t follow the news or politics much, preferring to focus my time on my health, family, community and business endeavors. My political views don’t really align with the left and right sides of the political spectrum, instead landing me almost squarely in the center with a libertarian bent, according to the test at Political Compass. (I highly recommend you do it if you haven’t already). However, in this year’s U.S. election, I made an exception and was genuinely immersed during the run-up months to the election.

The main reason is that over the past decade or so I’ve seen leftist ideology slowly taking over not only in the United States but all over Europe. I’ve always hated authorities pushing extreme agendas down our throats, and this has been going in overdrive in recent years. While I was previously content with doing my own thing and ignoring politics, I now have young kids who are more likely to interact with the system through their school education and peers. I’ve also felt the pressure through anti-entrepreneurship sentiments and the increased burden of taxation and regulations

What Led to the Left’s Downfall?

The Democratic Party’s defeat in this election reflects several fundamental missteps that have pushed the party far beyond the comfort zone of many Americans. In their zeal for progressive ideals, the Democrats seem to have lost sight of the practical, everyday struggles of ordinary voters. They’ve gone so far left that they’ve left the American people behind. The irony is thick: while the left accuses Trump of racism and authoritarianism, the voters helping to secure his victory include Black and Hispanic Americans—people the left supposedly champions. Yet instead of celebrating this diverse coalition, the narrative shifts to labeling them as victims of “internalized whiteness” or even “the Black face of white supremacy.” This extreme ideological reaction speaks volumes about the disconnection between the party and the people it claims to represent.

A major issue is that the Democratic Party has doubled down on identity politics, catering to a cultural elite rather than addressing kitchen table concerns. Many Americans are watching as their daily struggles—like inflation, crime, and the erosion of public safety—take a backseat to issues that seem detached from their immediate needs. Transgender rights, for example, while important to many, have become a defining battleground at the cost of sidelining core issues like the economy and security. Policies like allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports have become a focal point, alienating many who otherwise support progressive values but can’t align with this direction.

Kamala Harris is emblematic of this shift. Positioned as a leader for a new generation of progressive policies, she has failed to resonate with the wider electorate. While she is praised in elite circles, she struggles to connect with the concerns of middle America—especially on issues where her stance seems evasive or overly ideological. The disconnect became most evident when, on the eve of a crucial election, she refused to comment on a seemingly straightforward bill in California that required shoplifters to face prosecution. Her silence speaks volumes about the party’s broader reluctance to embrace policies that resonate with law-abiding citizens seeking safety and order.

The growing presence of authoritarianism within the left further exacerbates this disconnect. California, a stronghold for Democratic power, has become a place where the government tries to control nearly every aspect of citizens’ lives—from what car they can drive to decisions about their children in schools. Policies are being pushed through without public consensus, and dissent is not tolerated. It is in California that parents are prohibited from even being informed if their child is struggling with issues of gender identity at school, reflecting a disturbing trend towards state overreach. It’s this kind of authoritarianism that many voters fear—and reject.

The media’s role is also crucial. Throughout the campaign, traditional media outlets have painted Trump as a threat to democracy, a dangerous authoritarian who must be stopped at all costs. Meanwhile, they showed a stunning reluctance to critique Biden’s cognitive state, his age, or his many policy missteps. The message was clear: Biden is “not brain-impaired until we say he’s brain-impaired.” This refusal to engage honestly with Biden’s obvious limitations only deepened the sense of distrust between the media and the average voter. Biden was portrayed as the left’s own Ronald Reagan—an elder statesman whose weaknesses must be shielded at all costs.

Trump’s victory, in this context, is both a backlash against Democratic overreach and a rebuke of media complicity. Despite being labeled a racist, Trump has garnered substantial support from Black and Hispanic voters—a fact that shatters the simplistic narrative that only white, rural Americans back him. In the run up to the election, I was indeed surprised that the majority of American entrepreneurs I speak to were decisively pro-Trump, although they were somewhat reluctant to say so in public due to the feared backlash.

The Republican party’s message of economic progress, national security, and putting America first resonates with a broad swath of voters who feel the Democratic Party has abandoned them. In a landscape where the media and cultural elite seem to be working hand-in-hand to maintain control, Trump’s victory is seen as the greatest political comeback in American history—a win not just against the Democrats, but against a broader establishment that has lost touch with the people.

The left has become authoritarian in its approach, shutting down dissenting opinions and mandating compliance on cultural issues that many Americans feel uncomfortable with. The pandemic response is a good example: the policies around COVID-19 reflect this overreach. While acknowledging the dangers of the virus, it seems that the extreme measures taken by the government—from mask mandates to lockdowns—were an excuse for those in power to exert more control over everyday lives. The pandemic has become a vehicle for the establishment to weaponize fear and force compliance.

Another major misstep by the left is its anti-crypto, anti-tech, and anti-entrepreneurial stance. The Democratic Party has positioned itself against some of the most exciting innovations in finance and technology, alienating not just the entrepreneurs themselves, but also the people who benefit from a thriving tech economy. By vilifying cryptocurrency and focusing on regulatory crackdowns rather than fostering innovation, the Democrats have missed an opportunity to connect with young voters and those who believe in decentralized solutions. The tech industry has always been a driver of American economic strength and independence, yet the left’s hostility towards Silicon Valley and entrepreneurship reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what has made the United States an economic powerhouse. Instead of embracing and supporting American innovation, they seem more interested in regulating it into oblivion.

Ultimately, the Democrats’ defeat is a consequence of their disconnect from the concerns of everyday Americans, their embrace of authoritarian control, and their inability to self-reflect. If the party is to regain the trust of the electorate, it needs to refocus on the bread-and-butter issues that matter most—jobs, safety, freedom, and opportunity. Until then, they will continue to lose ground to a Republican Party that, despite its flaws, appears to understand the pulse of the nation far better than their opponents do.

What I Hope For Going Forward

Looking forward, the Trump administration has an opportunity to build on the momentum of this historic victory. If it focuses on delivering results—particularly in areas like energy independence, economic growth, and immigration reform—it could cement a new era of prosperity and stability. One of the most important promises is energy policy, moving back towards a self-sufficient America that doesn’t rely on foreign oil, which could lead to reduced energy costs and an economic boost for many struggling American families. Another key area is immigration: a focus on border security paired with a fair path to legal status for those already contributing to the country could strike the balance that many Americans are yearning for. Nobody wants dangerous criminals roaming the streets, but at the same time, there’s an understanding that hardworking families deserve a chance to live in peace.

In terms of broader geopolitical impact, the Trump administration could also set a precedent for Western nations that have slowly been adopting many leftist American policies. The hope is that a return to policies based on freedom, national sovereignty, and individual responsibility will inspire European countries to rethink their own trajectories. Across the Atlantic, countries like the UK, France, and Germany have mirrored many of the failed progressive policies that have led to unrest and dissatisfaction in America. Spain and Malta, the countries where I spend most of my time, are currently in the grip of corrupt, incompetent Socialist governments. Portugal, one of my favorite countries in Europe, has finally removed the left from power. If the United States can turn the tide, it might embolden European nations to also push back against the creeping authoritarianism that has been eroding their cultures and undermining their citizens’ quality of life.

Ultimately, this moment is about much more than just an election. It’s a chance for the Western world to course-correct, to remember the values that made these nations great: freedom, opportunity, and the right to dissent. There’s hope that with Trump back in power, America can once again be a beacon of these values, lighting the way for others to follow.

In today’s hyper-connected world, the idea of joining yet another community can feel overwhelming. Many of us already find ourselves juggling multiple chats, notifications, and groups, which can often feel like just another source of distraction. As the founder of the Good Life Collective, and a member of several communities myself, I frequently hear these concerns.

The hesitation is valid: Will this just add to the noise? Is it worth the financial investment? Will it truly add value to my life?

Let’s explore why joining multiple communities, when done intentionally, can be incredibly rewarding—and why it’s about much more than just adding another group to your phone.

It’s Not Just About the Chat—It’s About People

One of the biggest misconceptions is that every community is just another chat group with endless notifications. However, communities like the Good Life Collective are designed with purpose, offering diverse touchpoints that go beyond online conversations. Yes, there’s the Telegram chat, but that’s just one facet. We also have in-person dinners in Barcelona and other cities, insightful webinars, yearly retreats, smaller gatherings in idyllic places like monasteries, and soon, a monthly newsletter highlighting key takeaways from our community interactions.

These aren’t just events—they are opportunities to connect, learn, and grow alongside like-minded people. Being part of a community isn’t about filling up your schedule with more commitments; it’s about being intentional with your time and investing in the right spaces that align with your values and goals.

The Human Need for Connection: Why We Need People

As someone involved in multiple communities, I understand the hesitations. The thought of joining another group, especially one that comes with a financial commitment, can feel daunting. But it’s worth keeping in mind that this isn’t just about more chats or content; it’s about people.

Kurt Vonnegut once captured this sentiment perfectly, stating that many of our personal struggles stem from not having enough people in our lives. He explained that many of the conflicts in relationships, such as between spouses, are often a result of loneliness and unmet needs for broader connection. As he put it, “What they’re really saying is, ‘you’re not enough people.’”

Vonnegut suggested that to recreate the “like-minded, extended families of fifty people or more” that many of us are missing, we should “join all sorts of organizations, no matter how ridiculous, simply to get more people in his or her life.” The value isn’t just in the immediate connections you make but in the exposure to different perspectives, experiences, and support networks that enrich your life in ways you might not even expect.

Balancing Community Involvement and Avoiding Overwhelm

Being part of multiple communities doesn’t mean you need to engage deeply with all of them all the time. It’s okay to have a primary community where you invest more of your time and others where you’re more of a peripheral participant. Not every interaction will change your life, but sometimes, it takes just one valuable connection, one insightful piece of advice, or one event to make your involvement worthwhile.

I’m in 6-7 communities every year because I recognize the importance of mixing with different people. Of course, my family remains my core, and a smaller subset of community members will become true friends, but the broader exposure to different individuals keeps my perspective fresh and my network rich.

The Financial Side: Is It Worth the Investment?

One of the most common concerns is the financial aspect—whether spending $350 or more on a community membership is justified. My take? For a price point up to around $500, it’s usually worth giving a community a shot without overthinking. Sometimes, a single tip, a meaningful introduction, or one powerful event can make the entire investment worthwhile. When considering more expensive memberships, assessing if you have the time to benefit from and contribute to the community is essential.

Conclusion: Give It a Try—You Might Be Surprised

If you’ve been hesitant to join a new community, I encourage you to think about what you might gain rather than just what it might cost—whether in time, money, or attention. Joining the right communities, even just for a year, can open doors to experiences and relationships that make a lasting impact.

If the values and opportunities I’ve described resonate, I invite you to explore the Good Life Collective further. Visit our website to learn more about our mission, events, and how we’re building a community that goes beyond just another online group. And if you feel aligned, don’t hesitate to reach out—I’d love to connect with you and see how we can support each other on this journey.