How To Get Rich Without Getting Rich
Why More Money Wont Make You Free
The reflection for this Sunday, May 18th, is going to be a little different. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, but never put into words until now.
As many of you know, Nassim Taleb is one of the thinkers who has shaped my worldview more than anyone else. His writing doesn’t aim to impress, it aims to cut. And it does.
Years ago, I read a chapter from Antifragile that changed how I approach almost everything: wealth, time, stress, even how I design my weeks. The idea was simple but brutal:
“The solution to many problems in life is by removing things, not adding them.”
Taleb calls this via negativa. Not doing more, but doing less of what doesn’t work.
Not stacking habits, tools, and hacks, but removing friction, noise, and things that don’t serve you.
This shift in lens reveals a different kind of wealth, one most people overlook, because it doesn’t flash, it doesn’t post, and it doesn’t show up on a balance sheet. But it builds quietly and pays dividends every day.
Call it silent wealth. Or functional wealth. Or maybe just peace.
So I’ve been reflecting on what my own version of that portfolio looks like. Not in terms of assets, but in terms of subtractions, things I’ve intentionally removed from my life to protect energy, clarity, and time. Here’s what made the list.
Worryless sleep, not because I’m indifferent, but because I’ve built systems that keep chaos out and energy in
A clear conscience, not by being perfect, but by telling the truth faster and choosing not to play games I’d be ashamed to win
Reciprocal gratitude, the kind that doesn’t need a favor ledger or social debt, just mutual respect and shared momentum
The absence of envy, which only came when I stopped using other people’s metrics to measure my own progress
A good appetite, because my body isn’t inflamed, overstimulated or on a crash-reward loop, just regulated and responsive
Muscle strength, not from vanity but from training my body to be useful, dependable, and resilient when life turns physical
Stable physical energy, the kind that doesn’t rely on caffeine spikes or motivational quotes, just consistent inputs and recovery
Frequent laughs, not forced or filtered, but spontaneous, real, the kind that remind you you’re still human
Eating with people I care about, because even the best food tastes flat when it’s eaten alone in silence
No gym classes, because I prefer effort over choreography and simplicity over performance, I train to stay dangerous not to look pretty
Some physical labor, a non-negotiable to get out of my head, reconnect with the body and leave the noise behind
Digestive health I don’t think about, because the absence of discomfort is one of the most underrated luxuries there is
A calendar free of meeting rooms, where decisions get made fast, space exists for thought, and no one books my brain without purpose
Periodic surprises, because not everything should be optimized, some joy should arrive unplanned
This list is not aspirational. It’s operational.
If I can hold onto these things, I’m already ahead.
Because when I’ve lost them in the past, when sleep slipped, when envy crept in, when time was hijacked by meetings, no amount of income or growth ever compensated.
The irony is that we build systems to get rich, but most people forget to define what being rich means beyond the number.
And so they keep chasing, building, compounding, until they finally have enough to ask the question they should have started with:
What actually makes life better?
It turns out, most of the answers are not additive. They’re subtractive.
Removing urgency.
Removing noise.
Removing dependence.
Removing obligations that exist only to maintain an image you didn’t even choose.
I’m not against money. I’m obsessed with freedom.
But freedom doesn’t come from owning everything. It comes from needing very little, and being intentional with what remains.
So maybe this week, instead of asking what you need to add to your portfolio, your routine, your calendar, you ask the opposite.
What needs to go?
Because real wealth, the kind that feels light and energizing and quietly powerful, is not something you reach.
It’s something you uncover by letting go.
And most people never even realize it’s buried under everything they thought they needed.
This Wednesday, the article won’t be as reflective, but instead will share some practical tips on a skill that is the most important for investing successfully.
Now our portfolio in detail.
