Merry Birthday To Me. You deserve a fast pass.
a story about money.
While most of my friends were asking if I was going to throw a rager party…
or host some elaborate dinner…
or even go out to the club…
I decided this year, for my 27th trip around the sun, I was going to the water park.🌊
But with one exception…
This time?
I paid double for a fast pass.
And before you scoff at this idea as frivolous spending…
Let me tell you how amazingly life altering this was for me:
How the fast pass transformed my mindset on money.
Why you deserve your own “fast pass” in life
And why we stop ourselves from actually enjoying the things we deserve
If you’ve ever been to an amusement park…
you know how god awful it is to spend the entire day waiting in a line.
Worse?
You can probably recount the times you spent hours standing in a line that seems to wrap around more times than the actual roller coaster track!😢
And as you stand there beaten down by the hot sun…😰
with your knees all wobbly and your legs about to give away…
You see in the corner of your eye a kid zoom past the ENTIRE line.🏃♂️
He’s smiling, laughing, and practically rubbing his privilege all over your sweaty face.
And for a brief moment you feel…
Shock. Someone actually paid money for a fast pass?
Disbelief. He must be a trust fund baby!
Rage. I can’t believe I’m waiting 2 hours for a 2 minute ride!
Regret. I should’ve just stayed at home.
And then you try to justify your position through…
Diminishing. Oh it’s not worth it anyways.
Identifying. I’m a saver not a spender.
Sunk cost fallacy. I’ve already waited half the day.
And basically do everything in your power to not feel bad.
I WISH I could go back in time and slap that person in the face.
Since I wasted 26 years denying myself the JOY of a fast pass because I was TOO CHEAP to fork over a couple of dollars!
Never again I tell you.
Once I purchased the fast pass… I felt like the golden gates to amusement park heaven finally opened.
I frolicked through all of those empty lines, rode all those rides, and now I can officially say…
I’ve completely healed my inner child.
Just kidding.
But I did learn 2 lessons as I joined the new elite class of fast pass holders.😏
1.You deserve a fast pass.
A.K.A You deserve your own personal luxury.
And you deserve to spend your money how you want— free from guilt or judgement (especially from yourself).
Ramit Sethi calls this your “rich life”. 🧑🏫
Embodying a “rich life” is less about pinching pennies and more about designing a life that makes you feel rich.
This doesn’t mean over the top mansions, and high end cars.
Living a rich life means allowing your self to enjoy things that makes you feel rich.
And in my case?
It was the fast pass.
For you, it may be that:
Java chip frappe from Starbucks every morning.
Sunday brunch with your loved ones.
Really nice desk set up to work on.
Find out what sparks joy for you and allow yourself to enjoy it.
2. If you’re stopping yourself from spending money it may be because of your upbringing.
I grew up in a 1st generation immigrant household.
This meant I wore hand-me-downs that came from the last century.
It also meant that I was trained from a young age to save as much money as I could.
Because I grew up around parents that wanted to save, save, save…
I identified as a wise spender.
So the thought of ever getting a fast pass never even existed to me.
It was a non-negotiable.
I couldn’t fathom the idea of spending that much money when I could wait in line for free.
I found myself subconsciously judging people that would flush their money down the toilet for something so unnecessary.
Little did I know…
all that self righteousness never got me any closer to my rich life.
Sometimes we get in the way of our own enjoyment purely because we’re so ingrained in our identities.
If you’re curious about where your money beliefs come from, it may help to take a look at your upbringing.
Til’ next week,
Brian “Fast Pass” To
P.S What’s one simple luxury that you enjoy?
Build In Public 🔨
My latest project is helping to rehome these two adorable strays.
If you’ve been wondering why I haven’t been as active online lately it’s partially because of this :)
If you know anyone that is looking to adopt an animal please let me know!
Meet Melon ( The ultra chill black lab)
✅ Summary
Male
Black labrador retriever mix
2-3 years-old
Neutered
Fully vaccinated
Very skinny and found with worms + ear infection (now cured)
Heart worm negative
Fully house trained.
Calm. Patient. Easy-going personality.
Meet Kiwi (The cuddly tuxedo cat)
✅ Summary
Male
9 months
Neutered
Fully vaccinated
FIV and FeLV test results: negative
Litter box trained
Some alopecia
Loves playing outside! (and stealing your food)
One Dope Link 🔗
My dear friend Shruthi is launching an amazing 4 week course for coaches who want to build a resistance free business. Her coaching has helped me immensely!
Brian, I loved the thought of creating a life that feels rich. Now I'm thinking, what's my fast pass?