The Best Investment? Yourself

The Only Investment That Matters

Welcome to the YouTopian Journey, a Substack featured publication. Each week I will be sharing unique wisdom that can help you in the daily battles that we must all fight in the game of life. This week we discuss why the best investment you can make is the investment in yourself.

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Now onto the good stuff.

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YOU ARE THE INVESTMENT

“You're going to find people from all over the country, everyone hungry for money and position. You won't make a name for yourself just doing what the next man does. You'll have to distinguish yourself in some way.”-Eiji Yoshikawa, Musashi

We live in a strange and contradictory society. When it comes to things that waste our time and offer us no long term benefit, we jump at the chance. Yet when our time should be spent on activities that could truly change our lives, we are filled with excuses. We want excess but not success. Rather than make an investment in ourselves in order to distinguish ourselves and create true success, we follow what others are doing and hope for the best.

Thousands of dollars put into a risky cryptocurrency is bold action. Thousands of dollars put into your own self-development and personal growth is foolish.

An investment in a stable market is not a problem but an investment in our volatile lives is a bridge too far.

Ten hours to binge the latest Netflix show is a worthy trade. Ten hours of study is too much to ask.

An hour swiping through social media is simple. An hour spent exercising is too difficult.

A weekend in the Bahamas is a great investment but a weekend spent teaching yourself a new skill or reading is far too heavy a price.

A new version of a smartphone is a requirement. A new version of you is an impossibility.

This is the height of foolishness. The best investment we can make is the one in ourselves. The best person you can bet on for success is yourself.

But this knowledge is lost on the masses. The multitude looks down at their screens rather than look up at the stars. They think themselves too limited in their own capacities to return whatever investment they make in themselves.

Our society only exacerbates this feeling. The on demand culture of instant fame, instant analytics and data, and instant gratification deters the natural investment process.

What is this process?

Simple.

That true investments are not paid back in full for many years. This is the case in business and this is certainly the case for making the investment in yourself.

A body is not made healthy in hours.

A mind is not made intelligent in days.

A person is not made successful nor wealthy, in a week.

Everything requires time, effort, and hard work. It requires the courage to see that investment yields results.

All else is foolish. All else is a waste of time, which in turn, is a waste of life.

When you invest in yourself, you stand higher. You are not pulled down into the slime and mortar of society. You escape the gravity of the drama that surrounds you. You are able to distinguish between what is truly meaningful and what is a waste of life.

The sad truth is that most of our daily activities, both professionally and personally, are a waste.

Remember that Q&A Session in the company Slack last quarter?

A waste.

Monday happy hour after work?

A waste.

That terrible show you had to binge every season on Netflix?

A waste.

Hours spent on social media scrolling into oblivion?

A waste.

This stops when you make an investment in yourself. This stops when you realize that your time is limited, your goals legitimate, and your power is real. While our finite time cannot be altered, it can be mitigated. By investing in yourself and making your life the masterpiece that it can be, every day matters more than ever. Every experience is weighed. Ultimately, this investment can keep the darkness of lost time and lost life at bay.

Which is why I am pleased to announce that the full YouTopian Journey experience is now available as we are going paid. By becoming a paid subscriber for just $10 a month (or $75 annually, which comes down to $6.25 per month, just over the price of your daily latte), you not only make an investment in yourself, but you will be helping society at large as we expand the community. Paid subscribers unlock the following perks:

• Full subscription. Paid subscribers will receive one new issue of YouTopian Journey every Sunday at noon EST as well as subscriber only issues. Free subscribers will receive specific archived issues and one new issue per month.

• Paid subscribers receive behind the scenes material in subscriber only issues. See the process of some of our favorite art pieces from script to completed concept. This also comes with my notes and inspiration behind each scene.

• Subscribers get new art, new characters, and new concepts first.

• Access to the entire archive of over sixty issues and over 100,000 words of content.

• Special subscriber only issues that will be sent out in addition to our weekly issues.

• A chance for our founding members to cameo in the actual art of the story.

• Most importantly, paid subscribers will have full access to the YouTopian Journey summer of productivity series. You have already met the Time Eater, now it’s time to learn how to face him. All subscribers will receive issues to help them use their time wisely and ultimately live a more fulfilling life.

As YouTopian Journey has been a passion project from day one, 100% of the fees generated from subscriptions will go to cover the cost of the art as well as increased marketing to reach new people who could truly be helped. This means new art and more content that you can truly benefit from. If only 10% of my loyal readers become paid subscribers, we will be able to take YouTopian Journey to the next level by not only helping yourself, but helping thousands of others around the world. Paid subscription content will begin next week. Make sure to become a paid subscriber today!

If the art speaks to you, then become a paid subscriber.

If the writing helps you, then become a paid subscriber.

If the material resonates with you, then become a paid subscriber.

If you have become just one-percent better from reading this, then become a paid subscriber.

Together, we can create something stellar that society can truly benefit from.

“The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.”-Jonas Salk

Thank you.

Shaun