Heyo! I’m back with this month’s issue of Tam’s Jam: my curated collection of resources and lessons around living a meaningful life.

I’ve received several messages over the years asking how they could support my work. I’ve always brushed off having a donation page but with lots of encouragement from readers, I finally set one up!

My goal with writing is for you to live a happier and more meaningful life. If you feel like you have benefitted from my work, please consider buying me a coffee, supporting directly through Venmo (@Tam-Pham-4) or PayPal!

I spend around $500/yr on software costs alone to keep the blog running smoothly. Your contribution will go towards making the blog accessible for readers like yourself who care about living a meaningful life.

Thank you in advance for supporting my work. I really appreciate it! 🙏

In this issue: My ongoing experience with long COVID, my new essay exploring what to do against the rising cost of living, and a new book recommendation in The 2-Hour Cocktail Party. Vamos!

—

😷 Living with long COVID for 6 months

As many of you already know, I’ve been battling long COVID since the beginning of the year.

It has really sucked. 😛

I’m not able to work out like I used to. I’m forced to cancel plans all the time. I wake up not knowing if I’ll have the energy to do what I want to do on any given day.

While I am feeling generally better today, it has been (and continues to be) one heck of a journey.

I wrote about my experience here with reflections/lessons learned throughout this process. If you’re going through a major health issue or simply want to know what it’s like, you would find this piece interesting.

➡️ Read: My Experience Living with Long COVID in My Twenties

—

😾 What Should We Do When The Cost of Living Is Way Too Expensive?

The cost of living is ridiculous.

It doesn’t matter where you’re living. You have most likely felt the impact of rising costs of rent, food, and gas without seeing the same increases in wages.

Half of Americans can’t find $400 in case of an emergency. As inflation heats up, 64% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck.

This is freaking stressful. What should we do!?!?

I’ve talked to many of my friends and read several responses online about solutions. Here are some of the major themes I’ve seen:

1. Save money
2. Make more money
3. “Lie flat”
4. Move abroad
5. What I’m doing…

I explore each of these themes, share the pros and cons of each, and reveal what I’ve been thinking about.

I don’t have the answers but I hope this 2,674-word essay that I spent weeks writing (and thinking about) will both:

• Open your mind to something new
• Start a helpful discussion towards solutions that are right for you.

➡️ Read: What Should We Do When The Cost of Living Is Way Too Expensive?

—

Below the fold

• 🙌 Congratulations to Nick Gray for launching his book, The 2-Hour Cocktail Party: How to Build Big Relationships with Small Gatherings, today! I’ve been a longtime fan of Nick’s blog and his approach to building community. Check out the official website for more details or buy it directly on Amazon.

• 💜 I’ve admired Andrew Callaghan (former founder of All Gas No Brakes, current owner of Channel 5 on YouTube) for his refreshing on-the-ground journalism. His recent video covering the NRA Conference was eye-opening to me as someone who (honestly) hasn’t gone outside my bubble much. His other video interviewing citizens of Ukraine was also eye-opening and very moving for me.

• 💪 It takes true courage to know when to give up. I’ve watched this clip of a UFC fighter quitting mid-fight several times and I admire his self-awareness to know when to throw in the towel. Fun fact: After quitting mid-fight, he has since won two professional bouts in a row.

—

🙂 Before you go

🙏 Support Tam’s Jam:

• My goal with writing is for you to live a happier and more meaningful life. If you feel like you have benefitted from my work, please consider buying me a coffee, supporting directly through Venmo (@Tam-Pham-4) or PayPal! Thank you in advance!! 😊

🛫 Upcoming travel:

• 🌮 Mexico City — Now - July 1
• 🌍 Spain/Greece — Sometime in Aug/Sept, my first time in Europe! Suggestions welcome ;)
• 🇳🇵 Nepal? — October. I raised ~$2,000 for a non-profit to help rebuild a small village that was demolished by a massive earthquake. I had plans to volunteer in 2020 for my birthday but COVID hit. I hope to make a visit this year if the stars align!

📚 My books:

• How To Network: Build Instant Trust & Respect With Anyone You Meet (112 reviews - 4.5/5⭐️)
• How To Land Your Dream Internship: Proven Step-By-Step System To Gain Real World Experience (42 reviews - 4.9/5 ⭐️)

All books are available on Kindle, paperback, and Audible (narrated by yours truly). 😇

Products I love:

• 📔 Want to feel happier every day? I’ve been using the Five Minute Journal for over 6 years and I love it (my 2016 review). Use "TAM10" to save you some moolah and get your copy.
• 🌏 Want to learn a new language? I’ve been using iTalki to learn Spanish with teachers from Colombia, Mexico, and Costa Rica. If you want to get speaking practice from 150+ languages with a real human for $8/hr, this is your opportunity. Get $10 credit once you sign up! Disfruta. ✌️

You can find all the past issues of Tam’s Jams here.

Have a friend who would dig this? Send your friend here to sign up for the next issue. 🙏

Thanks for reading! See you again next month. 😊

With gratitude,

Tam