Arthur

Here are my two cents on your questions: 1. The US market has been the strongest historically (reserve currency status, free market etc.), but some allocation in emerging markets is a good approach. I would go majority on the US and maybe 20% emerging. 2. It has been proven that if you want to maximize profit, the passive investing approach outperforms active in the long run. In other words, set and forget your funds in an all-market ETF. 3 & 4. 80% savings is a very high number, remember that investing will not make you rich. It will sponsor your retirement and it will make you wealthy, but only in your 50s and 60s. Therefore there is no reason to be over-excited right now and compromise on enjoying your life with the means you have. Also, if your goal is to become rich, investment in yourself and a business will go much further than stocks. 5. Focus more on spirituality, allocate less of your funds for investing, and make a rule that whatever you put in can only be taken out in retirement. Although it is exciting when you first get into it and see the numbers grow, investing has a long time horizon.

I suggest looking up Ben Filex on YouTube. He has a great channel and a podcast that is all about smart decision-making and investing based on models and principles, rather than fad and FOMO. You can start with his older videos. Unlike other technical analysts, he does claim that he can beat the market or that he has a crystal ball that will make you rich. He is investing in productive assets, not gold or crypto, but global market ETFs, with the addition of a couple of uncorrelated risk ETFs. I copied his "Model Portfolio" and it has been working well for me over the years.

This is an interesting video, he is knowledgeable about marketing, branding and online business (solid Orange). Basically, he is saying you have to become a content creator. The problem with that is that if you haven't developed any skill, don't have any wisdom to share, or are not particularly artistic, the content you create is very shallow and surface-level. At that point, you are doing it for monetary gains, social validation and to build your ego as a "teacher" and a "value provider". The truth is, that society will reward you for any content you put out, but that doesn't mean you want to go down a low-consciousness path. In my opinion, a good use of those content platforms is to supplement a life purpose that is outside of the platform. For example, you master a skill in a specific domain after putting in 10,000 hours and then open a YouTube channel to educate people on the wisdom you have gained. He did touch on that in the video, but he seems more focused on the content and personal brand, which I think is secondary. First, have something valuable to share, then focus on the mechanics of being a content creator.

I don't think you have to worry too much about the markets in the long term. I agree that a recession is coming, but it was in the making way before Trump got elected. It is brought about by years of cheap credit, high debt, demographic changes and lack of productivity. Don't listen too much to the doomers on YouTube and be responsible with your finances.

You can always focus on your life purpose while working a regular job in the meantime. For example, you could build a health and fitness website after hours. For $$$ though, I would recommend doing a 2-year diploma or apprenticeship program and getting into niche jobs in trades, healthcare or government (those sectors are strong in Canada). The competition pool for software and white-collar jobs is too large, especially with immigration, compared to specialized and practical high-skilled jobs. In your place, I would minimize my spending (downsize if possible), keep most of my net worth in ETFs, and finish a 2-year diploma in healthcare. If you have the patience to sit through a degree, you can look into Kinesiology or Physiotherapy, which will combine your passion for exercising and a healthy lifestyle.

- I wake up at 8, getting ready for work - breakfast- usually oats, eggs or yogurt fruit salad - I finish work at 5, have dinner at home - low carb, 2 meals a day - 1 hour of meditation + posture correction - 30 minutes of basic home exercises, shower - 1 hour for myself to watch a TV show or a movie - repeat

If you want a robust workstation I recommend Lenovo. They make high-quality laptops that are plenty powerful and not cheap. I don't think they have touch screens, drawing pens and other small features, but I guarantee they will outlast any cheap brands like Acer and HP by a long shot. A Dell or a Mac would be my second choice, and the rest of the brands shouldn't be seriously considered at all.

I had my top wisdom teeth removed recently. It was a very simple and quick procedure. Local anesthesia takes about 5 minutes, another 5-10 minutes to extract them, and in 20 minutes you're at the door. It was painless, apart from the pinch you feel from the syringe. He actually showed me the teeth he pulled out. They had back spots so it was a good call to get it done. I brush every day, but these suckers are way in the back and hard to get at. The anesthesia wears off in a couple of hours, and the bleeding will stop after 12 hours. In a few days, you will forget you did it all. The only inconvenience is sometimes I have food stuck in the hole where one of the teeth used to be.

I decided to experiment with the Keto diet after following Dr. Ekberg's advice on youtube. I'm not overweight or diabetic, so I wasn't expecting any life-changing results. Nonetheless, I've decided to experiment and share my results. Measuring calories is not my thing, so my Keto wasn't as strict. but I tried to limit the carbs as much as I could, and I felt like I hit the <10% marks most of the time. My diet was pretty good to begin with - I eat lots of veggies, I don't consume wheat products and sugar in large amounts. I've mostly eaten vegan, with some exceptions. I did, however, consume lots of grains (mainly brown rice) and practically no saturated fats. The first week of Keto was challenging, my body and the gut microbiome were adjusting to a new food composition. I experienced fatigues, weakness and headaches, I felt drowsy and weak. The glycogen stores in my muscles were depleted and physical exercising became difficult. Any fast or explosive motion became a struggle. Most of that faded away in the second week, and I started noticing some pretty cool benefits: I noticed my skin and hair health have improved. My hair became elastic and silky, and my skin felt very smooth. My beard started growing at an increasing rate, also the patches and holes in my beard started to fix themself. I experienced improved mental clarity and energy. I felt like a teenager. Sleep quality improved. Mood swings and ADHD has been reduced. My state became very peaceful throughout the day. Waking up in the morning became a breeze. I usually felt very exhausted and dragged my time in the morning. Food cravings subsided and my meals felt much more satiating. I became more sensitive to sugar and my taste became more refined. I lost weight in the first two weeks, about 5-8 pounds. My takeaway is that I've underestimated the importance of fats in the diet, and misunderstood the role of carbs. Fats are building blocks for the brain and hormones, while carbs provide the fuel for short bursts of mental or physical activity. The most healthy leafy green vegetables are low carb, which makes it easy to construct awesome meals full of micro and macronutrients. I enjoy the steady and calm state of consciousness that Keto puts me in. The other benefit has been from an increase in saturated fats, which boosted up my hormones. I've been eating vegan and avoiding animal fats in fear of cholesterol, but this experience completely flipped my perspective on the matter. Lack of quality animal fats in my diet lowered my energy and overall mental/physical wellness without even noticing. I'm a proponent of plant-eating for ethical reasons, but I wish there was a way to get the same benefits.

He actually made a video explaining the sugars