Write Love Letters
When people ask, I tell them that I started Unqualified Opinions to challenge myself to say something interesting every day. And that’s still a true statement, and I hope I am achieving that objective. That said, meeting that challenge on a daily basis is difficult and sometimes stressful, so another question to ask is: Why?
Back in 2021, singer Billie Eilish released a film on Disney+ called Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles. I thought that was an interesting title so I looked up why she called it that. The reason, she told Good Morning America, is because it “made me who I am…I owed Los Angeles some love.”
Of course, the thing about love letters is that while they are emotionally charged, they are not universally positive. They are also born out of anguish, conflict, fear, and all of the other feelings that might lead someone to do something out of the ordinary. And so it goes in the film, with some of Los Angeles’ shortcomings causing Eilish to change over time as a person.
It sounds funny to say it, but I feel the same way about the subjects of business and investing. Business and investing have framed how I think about the world, been the source of my best friendships, and even been why I moved my family to Missouri. But my experience in these areas has also not always been positive. I’ve lost money, fired people, failed and been wrong, and experienced shortcomings that have caused me to change over time as a person.
In other words, I owe the subjects of business and investing some love.
So these are my love letters. I'm energized to contribute to the discourse, and I hope that when it’s all said and done they form an interesting and coherent complete thought. Further, and generally speaking, I am going to bind these and hand them to my kids so they understand why I am such a weirdo.
But it’s not all said and done yet, and I know that’s the case because Sarah(!) already designed the logo for Season 3. That said, I've got a Turkey Trot to run and then will definitely need a break to recharge.
Have a joyous holiday season, see you in 2024, and write some love letters of your own.
-Tim
