Losing $15k in bitcoin and learning by doing

#20 - 01.31.21

Brother -

I was having a call with my coach on Friday. He reads these weekly notes and asked me, 

"Do you think your brother makes any changes in his thoughts or actions by reading these?"

I told him I didn't know… because truthfully, I don't. We went on and talked about how our great lessons in life come from our own experiences. It's usually then that we look backward and exclaim, "Oh, that's what they meant there!". "They" could be your parents, an older sibling, mentor, or friend.

We predicted that for you, many of these notes will not be comprehended fully right now, but rather in a few years when you start experiencing these instances first hand. It's incredible how I begin to recognize more and more the lessons that Mom and Dad have taught us as I've grown deeper into adulthood.

For you, I've always felt some parental responsibility. Maybe because I'm a decade older than you, or perhaps because you dedicated your "Mothers Day" book to me when you were in Kindergarten. Something Mom still holds a grudge about ;)

And don't worry, I'm not offended if you don't get a ton of value from these notes right now. As I shared in letter #8, you don't learn from experience, but rather by reflecting on it. These notes are my reflection.

So let me share my latest experience with you where I didn't listen, despite the obvious advice. 

Yesterday I realized someone hacked into my computer and stole half a bitcoin from me. It's worth a little more than $15k right now, and will be worth half a million dollars if Elon Musk ever decides to get into the bitcoin game himself!

I don't know how they stole it, which is scary. The only thing is that I reuse a lot of common passwords—the ultimate "no-no" for building any digital security. I've had on my to-do list for over a year to utilize a Password Manager, change all my passwords, and put in two-factor authentication on sensitive sites. I just never made time because... what are the chances it happens to me? 

Well, I spent 8 hours building my own digital Fort Knox yesterday. It took me a $15k cold shower to wake me up and realize this is important. I hope for you this lesson can resonate without the need for you to experience it for yourself. Give me a call this week, and I'll pay for your own Password Manager.

Let me leave you with a quote and a question.

"A Fool And His Money Are Soon Parted"

-Thomas Tusser

How have these notes changed your thoughts or actions?

Enjoy the dance,

Nate