| Happy Sunday, everyone. There was an interesting concept I came across on Twitter: passive income kills something inside our ancient hunter-gatherer bodies. I've probably talked about this before. I've certainly thought of it. In regards to myself, it resonates. Looking back at all the ways I've made a living over the years, it's all been very active. I mowed lawns and painted houses as a teen. I threw BBQ parties in college (and painted more houses). I opened up a frozen yogurt shop as a young guy. I trained triathletes and developed supplements. I wrote blogs and books and then made mayonnaise. Each time, I was doing things, making physical products or providing physical services, actively imposing my will on the world in real time. There have also been investments, but I've been an "active" investor—actually knowing the businesses and their founders, believing in them. It's not just writing checks and waiting. And after the biggest pay day of my life, instead of sitting back and enjoying the passive influx of income, I kept working. I kept building. Frankly, I couldn't think of any other way to live. The binding principle throughout all this is that skipping the work always short changes you. I'm not even talking about hard, grueling, protracted work, not necessarily. I don't mean you should all be working 70 hour weeks or else run the risk of neutering your inborn hunter gatherer genes. I mean there's something special about actively creating your own fortune—whether through sweat, smarts, a lucky break, or consistent effort. Or just being engaged. Lotto winners usually lose it all. Trust fund kids often end up filling their lives with hedonism. The really rich people who no longer work always seem to be missing something. Either that or they're restless, digging their fingers into all sorts of other pies. Some passivity is good, of course. Plan for your retirement. Invest. But be wary of going "all passive," or relying on it. Don't stop moving, creating, making. Ever. Keep a sliver alive, at least. What do you think about this? Anyone out there totally rely on passive income? How's that working out? Can you think of any other psychological "holdovers" from our hunter-gatherer days and how those might express today? Let me know in the comment section of New and Noteworthy. | 