Experiences – Life – Inspiration 🇨🇭🇯🇵

The other day, while trimming the shrubs in our little garden here in Gifu, I realized I’d gone too far again. I made the same mistake last year—cutting too much, too quickly, thinking I was helping.

But just like before, I interrupted the plant’s natural rhythm.
And just like before, I learned something valuable.

That moment reminded me how much of my life is shaped by failure.

From drone crashes to investing mistakes, to blog posts that fall flat—nearly everything I’ve learned has come from something going wrong.

Learning by Doing (and Failing)

Failure has been my greatest teacher. It forces me to pause, reflect, and improve. It shows me what I missed, where I need to grow, and how to do better next time.

• A drone crash refines my flying.
• A weak video makes me rethink storytelling.
• A poor investment teaches me to diversify.
• Over-pruning reminds me to be patient.

Each mistake sharpens my awareness. And the more I engage with things I care about—FPV, blogging, investing, gardening—the more I realize: failure is not a detour. It’s the path.

The Illusion of “Set for Life”

Many people imagine that once they reach financial independence—maybe a million dollars in the bank—they can finally relax. No more stress. No more growth. Game over.

But that mindset is a trap.

Financial freedom isn’t freedom from responsibility—it’s a call to embrace more of it. Now it’s all in your hands. There’s no employer to blame. No system to lean on.

Things still go wrong. Markets shift. Rules change. New challenges appear.

And that’s exactly why I don’t see passive income as “set-and-forget.”
I see it as a living system. Something I nurture and improve, just like my garden.

Why I’ll Never Retire

Retirement, in the traditional sense, doesn’t appeal to me. The idea of stepping away from everything meaningful sounds more like drifting than living.

I’m building a life I don’t want to retire from—a creative, evolving lifestyle that stays rooted in learning, adapting, and growing.

I don’t see what I do as “work.”
I see it as my craft. My personal business for life.

Final Thought

We don’t grow by avoiding problems. We grow by facing them—again and again—with curiosity, commitment, and courage.

And if failure is what keeps me on that path, then I welcome it.

Let’s go again.