invest more in yourself.

Most people see the stock market as the ultimate wealth builder. The advice from most financial advisors is simple: Put your money into a big fund like the S&P 500 (a basket of the 500 biggest companies in the U.S.), let it sit for decades, and ride that average 8–10% annual return until you are 65 with arthritis, but at least you’ll be rich.

Which is a completely reasonable and safe route to follow, but it is very slow.

Here’s the truth: You can generate far higher returns, far faster, by investing in yourself. Call it the S&ME 500.

Think about it:

• Learn one new valuable skill and you can double your earning power in a year.
• Launch a small side project and watch it pay back more than years of index fund growth.
• Spend money on tools, education, or health — and the return shows up in your income, opportunities, and well-being.

This past year, I spent more time and money than I was initially comfortable with on courses, learning online skills, and funding experiences that could broaden my own perspective. But the past 8 months I’ve put into learning, reading, and building ideas have consistently created returns that no market fund would have matched in speed.

While the S&P might give you 10% growth in a year, your own skills can give you that within the next month.

The S&P 500 compounds slowly. The S&ME 500 compounds immediately, but only when you show up and put in the effort.

This Week’s Prompt:

If you treated yourself like the best-performing stock in your portfolio, where would you invest first?

The market will still be there in 30 years. But your biggest returns are waiting right around the corner.

See you next Sunday,
Arteri