Drake had a very bad Q2. He picked a rap battle with Kendrick Lamar. And lost. Kendrick’s diss track, _Not Like Us,_ became the song of the summer (featured at [kids’ birthday parties]() and [Argentina’s victory celebrations]()). But Q3 marked the start of Drake’s comeback. His redemption. The _6 God_ made his first high-profile appearance at Michael Rubin’s famous White Party. ![Blog post image](/images/blog/IMG_8243-1024x879.jpg) With attendees like Steph Curry, Beyonce and Robert Kraft, this Gatsby-esque gathering represents the annual pinnacle of mainstream stardom. But Drake’s presence was marked with an asterisk. The DJs were all instructed not to play any songs by Kendrick Lamar. But can you truly be high-status if you’re scared of getting your feelings hurt by a song? And what great things in your life come with an _asterisk?_ ## New to RadReads? Hi, I’m Khe Hy. Nearly a decade ago [I quit my $2.3 million job on Wall Street]() to become a writer. I explore topics like [money](), [happiness](), [ambition](), [relationships](), [productivity]() and [more](). I also host [The Examined Life Podcast]() where I explore life’s thorniest questions with a different guest each week. My newsletter is the best way to experience my work. Sign up here: ## There’s two sides to every coin It turns out that Michael Rubin has been offered $5,000,000 for an invite to this coveted party. Which he promptly declined. So, getting the nod must be __an objectively good thing.__ No asterisks needed. Sorta like [winning the lottery.]() Objectively good, right? Guess again. 70% end up bankrupt. Others [struggle with addiction.]() You immediately lose privacy. And you’ll never know who [truly wants to be your friend.]() Here’s another example: __being extremely attractive.__ Now you’d think that [a supermodel glides through life with ease]() thanks to their beauty. But they, too, have a plethora of [internal struggles.]() Peers often presume they’re not smart. [Envy of their attractiveness]() can make people jealous and hostile. Not to mention the incessant fear that one day, looks will inevitably fade. So is it possible that The White Party, winning the lottery and being hot are all accompanied by some existential angst? ## Meet the Middle Way Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just take the good, without the bad? Life is so much easier without the nuance. Good things are good. Bad things are bad. End of story. But for Drake, is the White Party truly good? Can he truly be at peace knowing that one of the diss tracks won’t be played? Or does he sway through the crowd with a nagging anxiety about how his peers are judging him? The spiritual teacher Pema Chodron explains this quite eloquently with a Buddhist concept known as _The Middle Way._ She describes how us humans seek precision. We want praise. We want victory. We want to know that we’re good. Unfortunately for us (like the lottery winners and the really hot people) the answer isn’t that simple. As the name implies, it’s usually somewhere in the middle. The Middle Way. The Middle Way lacks a reference point. It’s nebulous. It feels uncertain. Chodron continues: > _How could we possibly have no reference point? To have no reference point would be to change a deep-seated habitual response to the world: wanting to make it work out one way or the other. If I can’t go left or right, I will die!_ And what’s an important tool for navigating The Middle Way? Embrace discomfort. Instead of viewing uncomfortable emotions (fear, sadness, shame, loneliness and anger) – you can practice seeing them as opportunities for growth. And as a result our fearful patterns get transformed into sources of strength and wisdom. Yup, there’s heaps of wisdom to be found at a _White Party_. ## Are you a high-earner going through a career transition? Find purpose, navigate money scarcity and reimagine ambition with our Group Coaching program. [Apply today]()