In partnership with

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Learn from this investor’s $100m mistake

In 2010, a Grammy-winning artist passed on investing $200K in an emerging real estate disruptor. That stake could be worth $100+ million today.

One year later, another real estate disruptor, Zillow, went public. This time, everyday investors had regrets, missing pre-IPO gains.

Now, a new real estate innovator, Pacaso – founded by a former Zillow exec – is disrupting a $1.3T market. And unlike the others, you can invest in Pacaso as a private company.

Pacaso’s co-ownership model has generated $1B+ in luxury home sales and service fees, earned $110M+ in gross profits to date, and received backing from the same VCs behind Uber, Venmo, and eBay. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

Invest for $2.90/Share

_{Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.}

Stress often feels like an unavoidable part of life—a force that descends on us when circumstances spin out of our control. Deadlines loom, unexpected bills arrive, relationships get strained, and before we know it, our shoulders are tense and our minds are racing.

But according to William James, the father of American psychology, stress is not just about what happens to us—it’s about what we think about what happens to us. And in that truth lies a powerful tool: the ability to consciously choose one thought over another.

The Power of Thought Selection

William James framed this ability as a weapon—a deliberate, active tool in our battle against stress. While we can’t always stop challenging events from happening, we can decide how we interpret them and what mental story we attach to them.

Shifting from an anxious or negative thought to one that is solution-focused or calming doesn’t mean we’re ignoring reality. It means we’re choosing to respond in a way that preserves our mental energy and clarity.

For example:

• Instead of thinking, “This deadline will crush me,” try, “I’ll break this into small tasks and tackle them one at a time.”

• Instead of, “I can’t handle this,” try, “This is tough, but I’ve handled hard things before.”

The thought itself won’t magically erase the problem—but it will give you the mental space and composure to handle it better.

Why This Works

Our brains have a natural negativity bias, meaning they tend to focus on threats and worst-case scenarios. While this is helpful for survival, it can also amplify stress unnecessarily. By consciously redirecting our attention to a more empowering thought, we break the cycle and engage the part of our brain responsible for problem-solving rather than panic.

This is not just philosophy—it’s psychology backed by modern science. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness practices both rely heavily on this principle: you can reframe your thoughts to reframe your experience. Over time, these intentional choices can rewire the brain through neuroplasticity, making calm thinking your new default.

How to Start Choosing Your Thoughts

1. Notice the Thought
   Pause when you feel stress rising and identify the exact thought fueling it.

2. Challenge It
   Ask yourself, “Is this thought helping me, or making things harder?”

3. Replace It
   Swap it with a thought that is realistic but more productive or compassionate.

4. Practice Consistently
   Like building muscle, strengthening your thought-choosing ability takes repetition.
   

The Origins of This Wisdom

William James (1842–1910) was not only a philosopher but also a pioneering psychologist. He championed the idea of personal agency—our ability to influence our own experience through intentional choice. While this exact wording may not appear verbatim in his books, the sentiment reflects the core of his teachings in The Principles of Psychology and his lectures on the will, habit, and attention.

For James, our attention was the most valuable currency we possess. Where we place it determines not just what we see in life, but how we feel about it.

Resources for Going Deeper

Books & Literature

• The Principles of Psychology — William James

• The Will to Believe — William James

• Mindfulness for Beginners — Jon Kabat-Zinn

• The Happiness Advantage — Shawn Achor

• Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy — Dr. David D. Burns

Scientific & Academic Resources

• American Psychological Association: CBT Overview

• UMass Center for Mindfulness: MBSR Program

• National Institute of Mental Health

Practical Tools & Exercises

• Thought Record Worksheet – Therapist Aid

• Headspace – Guided meditations and mindfulness exercises

• Calm – Breathing exercises and daily relaxation

Inspirational Content

• As a Man Thinketh — James Allen

• The Daily Stoic — Ryan Holiday

Final Takeaway:
Stress is inevitable, but suffering is optional. By mastering the art of choosing your thoughts, you’re not ignoring life’s challenges—you’re meeting them with a sharper mind, steadier heart, and a far better chance of overcoming them.