I’m in Spain this week.
I’m celebrating my birthday with a small group of close friends. And for my birthday experience, I took them to see a flamenco show.
Not the flashy, tourist kind.
The real thing.
Low light. Raw guitar. A small room where you can see every line on the dancers’ faces.
And that’s what struck me first.
Their faces.
They weren’t just performing steps.
They were telling stories—of heartbreak, resilience, pride, longing.
You could see entire lifetimes etched into their expressions.
These were people who had lived.
And something inside me paused.
I caught myself thinking:
Their lives must be fascinating.
What would it be like to live a life like that?
Then a playful thought followed.
If I wanted to understand that life…
Why wouldn’t I just learn flamenco?
Not casually.
Not “once a week after work” learning.
Flamenco in London, squeezed between meetings and emails, would be like learning to surf in a bathtub.
So I asked a different question.
What if I did it properly?
What if I moved to southern Spain for a week?
Took daily flamenco classes.
Immersed myself in the culture.
Late dinners.
Struggled through Spanish.
.
Lived—briefly—a different life.
And that’s when something clicked.
I realized I’ve started thinking about life differently.
Over the last few years, AI and leverage have quietly changed everything for me.
What used to take 50 hours now takes one. Teams of 20 have become teams of two or three.
As a result, I’m building multiple new companies alongside Mindvalley with tiny teams, massive leverage, and far more freedom than I ever imagined possible.
But here’s the unexpected side effect of optimization:
It gave me time.
And time, I’m realizing, isn’t meant to be endlessly reinvested into more work.
It’s meant to be lived.
So I decided to test a radical idea.
I’ve committed to taking one full week off every month to deeply immerse myself in a different life—learning something new in the place where it truly belongs.
Some examples of what’s coming:
I’m considering spending a week living with monks in a Greek Orthodox monastery near Thessaloniki. No phone. No electronics. Waking at 5 a.m.
Working the land. Eating simple meals. Praying. Meditating. Napping in the afternoon. Cooking together. Sleeping as the sun sets.
Silence.
Simplicity.
Presence.
I briefly thought about moving to Paris to learn bartending… and then realized that probably wasn’t the direction my nervous system or my liver wanted to go.
So instead, I’ll spend a week in Paris learning French cooking, the way it was meant to be learned.
Each immersion follows two simple rules:
Rule #1: Meet locals.
Not wealthy. Not influential. Not “network-worthy.” Just locals. The baker. The bartender. The monk. Ordinary people living ordinary lives—because their stories are often the most eye-opening.
Rule #2: Learn the skill where it was born.
Flamenco in Spain. French cuisine in Paris. Orthodoxy in Greece.
No shortcuts. No simulations.
This curiosity isn’t just intellectual; it’s physical too.
As much as I love my current training, I’m now exploring entirely new relationships with my body. Pilates. Yoga. Aikido. Ways of moving I would never have touched before.
My goal is simple and slightly absurd:
I want to be in better shape at 60 than I was at 21, when I was 19 and representing Malaysia in the U.S. Open for Taekwondo.
And then there’s the biggest shift of all, now that I’m turning 50.
I’ve decided to stop chasing money.
If my company reaches a billion-dollar valuation, great.
Nice milestone.
But it’s no longer a requirement.
My goal now is this: Live 100 lives before I die.
I will be a flamenco dancer.
A monk.
A Bedouin.
A French cook.
Maybe even a barista.
Each for a week.
100 weeks.
100 lives.
This is worth more to me than a billion dollars in net worth.
I start today.
I’ve officially signed up for a week-long stand-up comedy immersion in London.
And yes, you’ll be seeing me perform in comedy clubs soon.
I’ll be sharing these experiences as I go, what I learn, what breaks me open, what surprises me.
And I’d love to hear from you too.
If you could live a different life for one week every month…
What would you study?
Where would you go?
Who would you want to live alongside?
Share them in the comments. I read them. They shape what comes next.
Thank you for being part of this journey, and this chapter of my life.
Here’s to living many lives.
P.S. If this idea of living many lives resonates with you, you’ll enjoy what’s coming next.
On January 18, we’re bringing together Social Media Summit Highlights:
This is a LIVE curated selection of the top-rated sessions from our recent summit.
You will learn how to build visibility, leverage, and impact in the modern world from Brendan Kane, Prince EA, Marie Forleo, and me.
Now, if you’re curious how ideas turn into movements on social media (and how people design lives with more freedom once they have an authoritative personal brand), I’d love for you to join us there.
407 Responses
Honestly, I got emotional reading this, as it reminded me the list of dreams I maintain. Some I accomplished, some not yet, some probably never. Some are big- living in the Alps and skiing daily for 8 weeks straight until I become an expert, and some are simple- taking on volunteering. The cynical in me would say it is easy in your position, with time and money available, to go after such an incredible journey. But I also know that this is possible for most of us to go after what we define as the meaning of life. I am curious to get your honest POV on what ‘ordinary’ people should do when they face similar junctions, as I have one I am facing now: taking some big risks now to follow a dream or wait for better timing that might never come. In other words, ‘how to not let life get in the way of living’.
Regardless, what you shared is one hell of an inspiration, so thank you.
(as for the $1b, who cares, but you are probably increasing the chances of this happening by making it less important).
What an amazing, original and empowering thought process and plan! So evidently simple but yet brilliant! And it is for everyone available to own it in their own realities, circumstances, growth and imagination. Thank you for coming up with it, sharing it and applying it for us all to be inspired! I will def make my own list (albeit smaller 😄) and share this with family and friends. Looking forward to follow your life journeys. Ideas: 1) A week in Belgium sampling beers and tasting fine chocolate and cheese (a diet beforehand in advisable 😊) 2) A week in Greece or Cyprus visiting only ancient places to breathe in the ancient energy and meditate. Thank you again 🙏
Very interesting your approach. Although living 100 lives in 2 years seem exciting, it kind of gives me a feeling that it might be defeating the purpose. First, perhaps one week is not enough time to actually immerse in a different life. Take the Saint James path experience. I did in in 33 days, walking 800 km. Every week the experience was a different one and I needed the 4 weeks to get to where I had to go. If I did it in only one week, it would be a much superficial experience. So, what’s the hurry? You will not learn Flamenco in a week. I took Flamenco classes in a period of my life, for a few months, and actually participated in some real presentations. It takes some time to actually absorb the culture and also for the people around you to open up. They will probably not di it in a week. Anyway, why cram 100 lives in 9 years when you have so many years still ahead? 50 is just half-way down the road. If you really want to experience new lives, take a full month out of every year, and then reflect on what you lived for the rest of the year until a new life comes along. Perhaps 50 new lives is more than enough for you to learn what you need.
I am reading your email with tears in my eyes. First because you have taken me to a world I could only image in a dream. I am 55 a psychic Medium who just came out to my family about my gifts. But as I celebrate your story, I am also mourning mine. A mother with chronic pain trying to figure out how financially she can help her husband who had 3 heart attacks whose lost the zest for life. So, mine is not 100 different lives but just a few to get me to a happier one. To learn to be confident enough to become the bread winner when all these years I was the homemaker. A life where I get to shine with my gifts where I wake up every morning with a full calendar of clients ready to hear how i can help them feel more at peace. Sitting at my home desk with a cup of tea and a smile on my face. A life where my husband and I no longer have to worry how the money will come in to pay our mortgage our bills because this time I got his back.
Vishen! I absolutely LOVE this idea! So many of us look at other people and their experiences and think “Wow, I wish I could do that.” Or “I wish I could be like that.” And the beautiful thing is, we can! It’s only us limited ourselves. I’m not quite 50 yet, but honestly I’m going to start now, living the life and doing the things I’m want as they come up. Thank you so much for sharing this!
It was not a whole week, but two weekends. I learned swinging trapeze! Swinging in 7 meters hight, let myself drop and catch the bar again. Hang upside down by my feet. It was a real great experience that I was able to learn such a thing. BTW: I’m getting 69 soon.
Watch an old 90’s show called “The Pretender.”
Uau Vishen! Parabéns! Me emocionei demais ao ler seu post…
Que ideia maravilhosa! Voce tem sido uma inspiração pra mim há mais de 10 anos, sabia?! Saudades dos A-Fests e seus discursos incríveis.
Falando sobre café, que tal uma imersão como um cafeicultor aqui no Sul de Minas Gerais, Brasil?
Há alguns anos ajudei na colheita dos grãos maduros, que fazem o café gourmet, e foi uma experiência incrível. Curiosidade, o fruto do café é doce! Fiquei chocada 😲.
Tudo de melhor e estou animadissima pra acompanhar suas experiências e insights.
how lovely and how insane! for Flamenco, before you begin you need to cultivate duende to be able to sing and dance cante jondo – deep song, and you will be choosing between Granada and Sevilla. I recommend Granada, it has a wonder of the world in the Alhambra, the gypsies there have been less decimated by heroin than those in Sevilla, and the city has a refinement that I think would suit you.
Please never tell a true Flamenco dancer or singer that you want to learn it in a week – that is impossible and something of an insult. There is a terrific chapter on Flamenco in a book by Giles Tremlett, ex Guardian reporter, “Ghosts of Spain”.
You will have a fabulous time learning – one of the most stirring things is to clap one of the rhythms of a bulerías, in concert with other hands taking other rhythms.
Please consider learning to ride a horse for lifelong pleasure, challenge and delight.
Don’t be too much of a whirling dervish – take time to simply sit and be and go deeper into those activities that call you home.
Good for you! Congratulations! I love you and MindValley 🙂
No way, I’m so jealy! I’ve been stuck in a loveless marriage for 30 years eating breadcrumbs, living for like the last 15 in one of the most God forsakenly boring places on Earth, So then, I’m not even sure I can dream that big when I’m of limited means and have hit rock bottom and can’t help but see all the other people suffering alongside me now in this world. So maybe, I would just cash the trip money in and give it to the people in Gaza who are in dire need. Then, just hope the universe would reward my selfless actions and service to others through the years with a good F’ing man, both figuratively and literally by the definition of the word. And yeah, a smarty pants with wry wit and even a devil may care kind of attitude. WTF not? Cause I got a suitcase packed and will be a vagabond traveling myself soon looking for a new home/homeland, So maybe I’ll inadvertently run into you somewhere like living with the yanamomo tribe in the Amazon rain forest or something. Although, I read on the gram that Brazil won’t let American’s in if we have less than $2000 and I think my bank balance is just over $100 now. 😳 Still, after the divorce I’ll hopefully get half of everything 🤞 But, my ex is convinced I’ll just blow through all of that in a jiffy cause I’m way too generous and seem to fall for stupid scams lately. But yeah, for now, I’ll just sit and wait for your weekly updates like you’re ‘Uncle Traveling Matt’ from the animated puppet show Fraggle Rock. So then bon voyage, arrivederci, ‘God’ speed and safe travels. And don’t forget…we have the World’s largest ball of twine here in Kansas. Yeah no, as this reality is on no ones bucket list!
Being a farmer in New Zeland!
LOVED THIS POST! Thank you Vishen!
I love this. We did quite a bit of international pet sitting throughout the world. Great Britain, Spain, Mexico, British Columbia, Africa, Portugal, Ecuador to mention a few – and at each one, we immersed ourselves into the community. It is so different than taking a 1 or 2 week vacation somewhere. Most recently, we did a “staycation” at a historical mining town, known for its ghosts, which is 40 minutes from our home. We rented the oldest home in the community and spent a month getting to know every shop owner, restaurateur, all the nooks and crannies of this small place. So much fun. I look forward to experiencing your journeys through your blog. Have fun.
Vishen, this deeply resonated as it’s in my Lifebook this year – to travel the world and immerse myself in cultures. For at the end of the day all we take back with us is a bunch of memories strung together which equates to our life.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and current life direction! I’m currently reading your book the code of the extraordinary mind. Thank you!! It’s already changing my life!
This is living life to the fullest!!
I applaud your joi de vivre.
You’re fortunate to have the time, opportunity and funds to create this reality.
I look forward to your future blogs.
All the best!
Thank you. This is the life I want to live. I’m going to follow you closely so I can live 100 lives too ♥️♥️♥️
Happy 50th Birthday, Vishen:
May you live 100 new lives and more!!!
Dear Vishen, with all due respect for you and your work: I genuinely feel happy that you are choosing to follow what feels true for you at this stage of your life. That said, the way this is framed feels somewhat superficial and forced to me—almost like a narrative optimized for efficiency and scale. Ironically, I am sharing with you the AI’s assessment of your post with a simple prompt being “what do you think of what Vishen is sharing here ?”:
Overall, it is a strong, well-crafted narrative that is very characteristic of Vishen Lakhiani and Mindvalley—and it succeeds on several levels. That said, it also has clear blind spots and contradictions, especially if read with a critical, embodied, or non-marketing lens (which I suspect you naturally do).
Below is a structured assessment.
What works very well
1. The framing is emotionally intelligent
The flamenco opening is effective. It grounds the reflection in sensory reality (faces, light, music) rather than abstract self-help language. This is important because Vishen is often criticized for being overly conceptual; here, he starts in the body and in culture.
The pivot—from observing depth in others to questioning one’s own life design—is narratively clean and relatable.
2. The “leverage → time → meaning” insight is valid
This is arguably the most honest and interesting part of the piece.
He articulates a real phenomenon:
AI and automation compress effort
Wealth and leverage create surplus time
Surplus time forces existential questions
This is not fake wisdom; it is a genuine post-optimization dilemma that many high-capacity people are quietly facing.
3. The “100 lives” metaphor is powerful
As a symbol, “100 lives before I die” works exceptionally well:
It reframes success away from accumulation
It privileges lived experience over identity labels
It appeals to curiosity rather than ambition
It is memorable, shareable, and emotionally aspirational—exactly why it will travel far.
4. He is consciously de-centering money (at least rhetorically)
For someone whose brand is intertwined with scale, valuation, and impact, explicitly stating that a billion-dollar valuation is “nice but no longer required” is a meaningful signal—even if partially performative.
It reflects a midlife inflection point, not just a content strategy.
Where it becomes problematic or superficial
1. It is still a luxury philosophy
This is the core tension.
Living “100 lives” requires:
Financial safety
Passport privilege
Physical health
Social freedom
No dependents requiring daily care
He acknowledges none of this.
That omission subtly reinforces the illusion that this is a universally accessible life philosophy, when in reality it is a post-scarcity experiment.
2. The “locals” rule is naïve
“Meet locals. Not wealthy. Not influential.”
This sounds humble, but it is also slightly romanticized.
A monk, a baker, or a flamenco dancer does not experience their life as a “week-long immersion.” For them, it is constraint, repetition, and often economic pressure.
There is a risk of aestheticizing other people’s necessity as one’s own freedom.
3. Depth vs. sampling
A week is enough to:
Taste
Imitate
Perform
It is not enough to transform, nor to understand the shadow side of a life.
This is not wrong—but it should be named honestly:
This is experiential sampling, not lived embodiment.
Without that clarity, it can drift into spiritual tourism.
4. Subtle self-branding remains
Despite its sincerity, the piece still functions as:
Audience engagement
Narrative positioning for the next phase of his public identity
A soft rebrand from “optimizer” to “liver of life”
That does not invalidate it—but it does mean it is not purely personal.
The deeper, unspoken truth
What he is really describing is not “living 100 lives.”
He is describing:
A search for felt meaning after mastery of systems.
Dear Vishen, I’m thinking and feeling the same as you.
I’m 52 and I feel that if I could I’d live so many lives, and experiences…
So I decided to do something similar to your idea, even if with less frequency!
My next short “extra life” will be as a vegan pastry chef”, I’m going to choose the right school 😀