Welcome to the fourth newsletter!

What is up VasaVita crew, how are we doing? Everyone had a good May, I hope? Excited for the summer? May is one of my favorite months – I view it as the “free trial” month of summer because summer hasn’t officially started yet but the weather is blazing hot, everyone is happy and excited about the warm weather, and the days are longer and longer. Plus, MDW and the NBA Playoffs and those lovely May flowers that the April showers brought us (and that, my friends, is a callback to the April newsletter).

For this edition, I wanted to start off by explaining something. The other day, my friend asked me why I send these monthly newsletters out at the end of the month instead of at the beginning of the month. While the main reason is that I am just a procrastinator and always end up waiting until the end of the month to actually sit down and write, another reason is that it I reflect on what I learned and experienced and interacted with during the month, and use that to inspire the content for my newsletter. So, while it is a May newsletter, it is more of a May Recap Newsletter.

On that same note, perhaps you are wondering why I even started this newsletter; if the point is not to sell anything – which it isn’t! – then why start it? What is the point? And that my friends, is something I thought a lot about this month and is what I want to focus on. Let’s keep reading ⬇️!

What is the Point?

Why do anything? What is the point of doing anything? What is our end goal? These are often questions we are forced to face when making any decision – what to eat for lunch, what job to apply to, where to go for vacation. And the bigger the decision, the more we harp over this question.

But do we have to have a reason for everything? Does every action need a five-page essay with works cited in APA formatting for its justification, or can we just do things simply to do them? I’d like to believe the answer is no, but I have found myself searching for the purpose of my actions in everything I do, from the grandest details to the most granular aspects of my life.

If xyz action won’t help me make more money or achieve xyz things or get to so-and-so place, then why even bother doing it?

Well, I am learning that “just because” can be a sufficient answer. To do things just for the sake of doing them. I believe we (and by we, I mean me in particular) have gotten so caught up in doing things because they will help us get to where we want to be. We do a task because we will make a lot of money from it, we work out so we can stay in shape and feel good about ourselves, we read so that we can be educated and keep up in conversation.

But what happened to doing things just because? To doing something just because you want to? To doing something just to do it? In a day and age where our social media and digital platforms are bombarded with “Top 10 side hustles” and “How to get rich quick” videos, I believe it is so easy to get swept away in the drivel of daily tasks and the overwhelming urge to check off boxes on our To-Do Lists (to be fair, I can’t wait to send this newsletter out so that I can mark it as done on my list).

But I am learning – nope, I am trying to learn – to do things just to do them. Not because it’ll be a money-maker for me or because it’ll allow me to get a sick job or it’ll make me look cooler (although those would all be fantastic), but just because.

I mean this in the small and big context.

So, why start this email newsletter?

Just because! To spice things up! Why not? After all, what else would I do?

TLDR: Life is short. It is easy to get so caught up in achieving our goals and dreams, that in doing so, we (again, me) lose sight of the true purpose of living – to live. And part of living is doing things out of pure randomness and interest and curiosity and naivety and joy and ignoring all logic and reason (to a certain extent). So if there is something you want to do but it is way outside of your career path or expected trajectory or comfort zone – BUT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO IT – then do it. Even if it means you delay achieving your dream or lose some money or it takes so much time. Do it! Live and enjoy life and do things just because you can and because you enjoy doing them.

I have seen this quote by Anthony Bourdain many times, and have always loved it, but it struck me harder this month and I’m not sure why. I just love how his quote contains a collection of seemingly disconnected and scattered actions: “Listen to someone…get the cream sauce…check in on your friends…have a cold pint at 4pm…have a drink with them anways.” Little nuggets of wisdom sprinkled in with carefree, mostly food-related, tips and I just love how powerful this combination is.

Perhaps you have a different interpretation of this quote (and if you do, please share!!!), but for me, I view it as doing things just to do them. I view it as “life is short so just enjoy your time here and be good to the people you meet.”

So, I hope you all get the chance to have a negroni (or two!) and enjoy the ride!

That’s all for this month! Let me know your thoughts! I know this one was a longer read so I appreciate you making it to the end!

As I have mentioned, all the tips, notions, thought processes, etc. that I put in here are things I am actively working on improving and implementing within myself. Writing them out also helps me to visualize what to work on and how to do it.

If you have any thoughts, comments, or feedback, please dish it to me! I’d love to know how I can improve. I am glad to have you here on my VasaVita journey.

If you want to talk more about anything I discussed in my newsletters, or want to learn more about VasaVita’s services, story, and goals, check out my website below or we can hop on a Zoom (or get “a cold pint at 4 o’clock in a mostly empty bar”)! I appreciate you all!

See you in June!

And last but not least, the following growth check!

In the sprit of transparency and holding myself accountable, I include my audience count here to keep you apprised on my growth. We got some new joiners here in May! Welcome, welcome!

Looking forward to ~hopefully~ more growth in June! If you have any ideas or tips, feel free to share!