My Open Tabs | Drop 006

Drop 006 is so meaty!! We're chatting about:

• 🤑 How to live the #softlife and #luxurylife at the same dang time.

• 🎙️ Why 50 Cent is lowkey the only mentor you'll ever need in your life.

• 🙅 The infamous "Quarter-Life Crisis"

• ✍️ AND WAY MORE...so grab a pen and take notes.

~ Deja W.

Before you dive in, join the My Open Tabs fam [here] and get future drops sent directly to ya.

▶️ Set The Vibe

Set the vibe while you read.

I'm always rooting for PRETTYMUCH. Butttt... I'm going extra hard for them because they lost a band member, became independent, and honey, dropped their squeaky clean pop band image immediately. 👀

I think this rebellious song nicely sets the vibe for this drop: [Excited by PRETTYMUCH]

🤳 Group Chat Convos

Take your group chats to the next level.

Okay, it's only been two weeks, and the group chat is going absolutely bananas. I've had so many side convos about a variety of topics, so I'll sum them up here.

Money Talks: As the economy goes down the toilet and companies continue to do stadium numbers as they lay people off, people are trying to find creative ways to hold on to their coins. At the same time, Tik Tok is pushing living a #softlife while balancing a life of #luxurylife. This ain't easy.

My sister recently shared Youtuber Jo Franco's [Money Baggage Podcast] and it's good. Jo is making it okay to confront your money problems, and giving you the tools to do better. We all know that when you know better, you do better. ;) Here are a few other money creators that like to talk that money talk: [Delyanne The Money Coach], [Chloé Daniels], [Max Miles Points], and [Cinneah E].

Language Talks: Yes, I'm still learning Spanish. And y'all know I have a love/hate relationship with Duolingo, so my quest for more language tools never stops. So I think I might have found THE app that I've been looking for. For months I've been saying if Duolingo adds a text chatting feature, it'd be OVER for all these other language-learning apps. Well, Duo didn't do that and instead, there's an app called Quazel that has beat them to the punch!

The app leans on AI to simulate real conversations as if you were talking to strangers in the park or friends at a local coffee shop. Of course, I've tried it and it's already kicking my butt. It's low-key confirming that I do in fact sound like a 2-year-old while having a conversation with my AI Spanish-speaking friends. The first time I used it, my AI friend tried to end the convo real quick. LOL. The good thing about it though is that the convos are one and done, so your AI friend won't remember a thing after you exit the chat. Which might actually be a good thing. Hmmmm... Try [Quazel] and lmk whatcha think!

Mentor Talks: I don't care what anyone says, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson is SO legit. At this point, he's outworked himself and has become a mega entertainment mogul. It might seem random, but he lays out all the moves he's made and his thought process in his book, [Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter].

At the same time, he talks about the not-so-smart business moves his friends, family, and enemies have made that have kept them down as opposed to seeing returns on their business endeavors. Forget all the business and personal development books people tell you to read for a second, and get this book instead. If you listen to the audiobook, it feels like you're having a one-on-one mentor chat with 50 too. Here are 5 lessons my new mentor taught me:

• About winning the fights: “To the Greeks, the most basic energy in the world was a battle between two forces. A debate was a fight between two people over an idea. Exercise is a fight between energy and fatigue. Study is a fight between you and the material. Every new day is a fight between light and darkness.”

• About training teams: “From your top lieutenant to the lowest person on the totem pole, you need to be able to articulate not only where you need that person to go, but also the steps they should follow to get there.”

• About facing your fears: “Be fearless. Most people run from what they’re afraid of. I run toward it. That doesn’t mean I think I’m bulletproof (I’ve learned the hard way that I’m not) or that I’m unaware of danger. I experience fear as much as the next man. But one of the greatest mistakes people can make is becoming comfortable with their fears. Whatever is worrying me, I meet it head-on and engage it until the situation is resolved. My refusal to become comfortable with fear gives me an advantage in almost every situation.”

• About leveraging your uniqueness: “None of those measures, which brought so much change to civilization, altered the basic nature of the water involved. The only thing they changed was how it was utilized. Try to view harnessing the energy of how you are perceived in the same way. The fundamental essence of who you are doesn’t change—you’re just using its innate power in a smarter way.”

• About opening your mouth: "If you’ve put in the work, and know your shit, raise your damn hand! Every single time."

🧠 Brain Picking

Chats & thoughts about the mind, body, and soul.

Right about the time you hit your mid to late 20s, you might start to feel like nothing is going right, and everything is going wrong. This is the infamous [Quarter-Life Crisis].

In 2022 this was my exact feeling. I felt like a robot going through my daily tasks, and I thought to myself, "Is this it?" I kept thinking that [something was missing] and no matter what I did, something still felt off. And then a series of unfortunate events ensued, that I've chosen to rid from my memory, and I said ENOUGH. I packed my bags, bought a one-way ticket to LA, and then headed to South America for 3 months soon after (more about this below)!!

Along with these feelings above, other people experiencing a quarter-life crisis could also:

• Lack direction in their career, relationships or overall life purpose.

• Have difficulties making decisions.

• Struggle to figure out what’s missing.

• Lack motivation.

• Struggle with fatigue, stress, anxiety or depression.

• Sense the tension between pursuing your dreams and settling down.

• Worry that your peers have everything figured out.

• Fear getting left behind.

My friend, if you're currently [experiencing any of the above], then you too are experiencing this seemingly unavoidable phenomenon.

If you're in this spot like me and so many of my friends, here's what you can do:

✍️ Journal: It's hard to form this habit, but you can use frameworks like the [1 Sentence Journal] or [Morning Pages] to help you get your thoughts on the page consistently. Even if it's not consistent at first, there's still power in getting all the thoughts out of your head. It helps you plan your path forward.

*Bonus Points: Do a [Happier App Challenge]. These challenges are designed to help you live a happier life!

🗣️ Have frequent pow-wows: Talk to friends who are right there with you. Also talk to someone who's wayyy older, because they've "been there, done that." And talk to a professional counselor or therapist too. Make sure to clarify whether or not you want advice or just someone to hear ya out (there's a time and a place for both!)

*Bonus Points: Watch an adult coming-of-age show. These are comfort shows that shows the ups and downs of twenty and thirty-somethings. It'll help you see that you're not alone. My favorite ones include [Being Erica], [Back to 15], [Harlem], and [The Bold Type].

🔌 Unplug: My friends and I made the decision to do bi-weekly unplug sessions. Meaning we do an activity together IRL (i.e. volunteering, going to a cooking class, etc.), and ya know UNPLUG... no phones allowed. Make it weekly, if you need to.

*Bonus Points: Delete all of your social media and do a social detox/cleanse. Check out [VolunteerMatch], [Airbnb Experiences], [Eventbrite], and [Viator] to find fun IRL things to do.

🫣 Be bad at something: Perfection is a nasty disease that's hard to shake, and without realizing it a lot of us strive to be perfect in some aspect of life. So take some time to do something by yourself that you would never in a million years do, and give yourself permission to be very, very bad at it. It'll help lessen that anxious feeling that you have all the time. Do this weekly if ya can!

*Bonus Points: Take up a [new hobby]. That's a great way to ensure you'll be bad at something!

✌️ Go rogue: I talk a lot about my 3-month solo trip to Mexico & South America, but I don't talk about why I did it. The same old, same old wasn't working for me, so I decided to switch it up. I went a little wild and hit up 9 cities in 3 months, staying as little as 3 days and as long as 3 weeks in some places. You don't have to go as hard as me (seriously don't do this) but maybe move to a new state or a few hours up the road if you need a change of scenery. Do it alone and do it scared. You'll be fine.

*Bonus Points: Change can be hard, so when you book a ticket, buy the one that charges you to cancel it (so you don't chicken out 😂). Better yet, join a [group trip], so you definitely don't chicken out!

I hope this helps a fellow twenty-something who feels stuck, bored, or blahhh. This is your sign (and permission slip) to switch it up!

🤔 Guess What?

Fun facts no one asked for.

Plungers that look like the one above, are actually for your sink and not your toilet. [Flap and Accordion Plungers] are the ones you're supposed to be using for your toilet.

You can use the [coupon code 9174] to get 40% off on large pizzas with 3 toppings at Dominos.

Turn your natural peanut butter [upside down], to stop it from separating.

Here are more fun [life hacks] that you should know about.

📷 Screenshot Me

Screenshots worth saving.

Dwayne Cash breaks down how to self-reflect like a boss.

🎯 Ctrl+W: Closed Tabs

A few tabs to quickly explore and close.

• [World Culture Trends Shaping Our Future]: BRICS (aka the China + Russia deal), climate change, life beyond 40, internet tribes, renting brains on demand, multiple income streams, and non-human intelligence are just the tip of the iceberg. Boy, the future is going to be…interesting.

• [The Ultimate Dream Hacker]: I've been robbed, had to complete a mission, and had to save someone all over the course of one week... in my dreams. Obviously, these have to all be connected! Right? Of course, there's an app that maps all of your dreams out and helps you put all the pieces together. Also... if you don't dream you can use this app like a daily journal. Maybe it'll help you finally map out your life plan.

• [How To Make the Greatest Christmas Movie]: Raise your hand if you think Elf is the greatest Christmas movie of all time. 🙋‍♀️. Well, same. Here's the story about how it almost didn't get made. (Fun Fact: Elf is basically Rudolph rebranded).

✍️ Pinned Tabs

I know your mind is always racing, so I'll leave you with a quote, thought, & action to help you slow down.

🎈 Distract Me

Still, want more? Distract yourself with a game.

Raise your hand if you remember Funbrain. 🙋‍♀️ Well... guess what!? It still exists and so do some of their classic games, like their famous Penguin Drop.

Aww little me is so excited. LOL

Anyway, I didn't bury the lead at all. Today's game is Funbrain's Penguin Drop game.

Have fun!

[Play the Game!]

Until Next Time! ~ Deja W.

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