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Every two weeks, I share my writing on investing, career transitions, meaningful work, parenting, living intentionally, and other topics that engage me.

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Field Notes Edition #13

In these shorter emails, I’ll share a few things that made me think, smile, or look twice. Maybe they’ll do the same for you.

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Let's go...

• All the Money, None of the Satisfaction - I'm increasingly fascinated by the outsized impact of psychology on our relationship to money and financial planning. Sure, we all know this is a factor, but I'm convinced that we continue to underestimate the significance. I see it in my work with individual clients and in my own irrational thinking. In this essay, Nick Magguili reacts to seeing wealthy people worry about spending $15 on craft beers. Clearly, something else is at work. The point here is well-trodden but worthy of repeating: money alone cannot deliver true satisfaction or security. Beware the insidious trap of comparison.

• The Three Elements of a Good Life In this post from "The Marginalian," Maria Popova explores the idea of being open to experiences as a way to build confidence and self-trust. She references the work of Carl Rogers, who described the three elements as 1) an openness (resisting defensiveness) to experiences, and 2) a willingness to live in the moment/observe, which leads to 3) "a growing ability to trust ourselves to discover the right course of action in any situation." It's about breaking down expectations and relying on faulty historical patterns so that we can live freely.

Small Sparks Sometimes it doesn't take much.

• The Overstory by Richard Powers - I expected a book about trees, and somehow decided to give it a chance anyway. I'm only 1/4 of the way through this series of short stories and can't wait to carve out time to finish it. Yes, there are trees. And while these trees play minor roles in each story, Powers uses different trees to illustrate themes. So, maybe it is a book about trees. But it's also a book of stories that explores our humanity. Regardless, it's a wonderful book.
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• Sunrise and a Misty River Commutes rarely inspire, but last Tuesday was different. With the fall air just above freezing, the rising sunlight pierced the mist rising out of the Androscoggin River. Drivers who looked right on the 295 bridge in Topsham savored the treat. Sorry, no photo. Safety first.
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• Fire Pit Season Sitting by a warm fire with your choice of beverage. Watching the flames. Conversation. There's something deeply satisfying and primordial about this simple experience, especially when the temps begin to fall.
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• The "Lobstah Bowl" Last weekend, our high school robotics team competed in a tournament at the University of Maine in Orono, about two hours north. You couldn't help but love the enthusiasm, creativity, and engineering skills of the 61 teams from across North America. Our team exceeded their expectations and had a lot of fun, which is always a big win, even though we didn't come home with a trophy.

• Genetic Quirks Some readers may remember "A Near Miss," when I left my passport at home and relied on the extraordinary kindness of two friends to transport the passport from my closet in Maine to Logan Airport in Boston just in time for a trip to Canada. It appears my faulty wiring may have been passed down to my daughter. Almost halfway to Boston to catch a flight to Philly, she realized she had left her license at home. This time, a neighbor was able to collect the wallet and meet my wife and daughter, saving them 90 minutes round-trip, which enabled my daughter to catch her flight back to college. Thank you, B!

And a Farewell Photo...

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