While writing “The World of Thinking Through the Lens of Literature”, I realized something: Most books about thinking tend to come from a psychological or philosophical angle. They’re good, but often dry. Rigid, even. Worse, they sometimes miss the very nature of thought itself — because thinking has its own flow, its own pulse. It’s alive.

Like cells, thought has its own life. And if you really observe it, that life is vibrant.

That realization led me to two critical factors when it comes to writing — and, honestly, when it comes to learning or exploring anything deeply: • Your approach • Your perspective

These two shape almost every book I’ve written.

Today, I want to share the 4 steps I’ve used to enter, explore, and eventually grow out of any field — whether it’s literature, finance, or creative thinking.

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STEP 1: Loiter Around the World

Let’s say you want to write books. Don’t rush in. Wander around the world of books first. Read casually. Flip through covers. Listen to what others are saying. Let your curiosity simmer.

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STEP 2: Step In and Explore

Once you’re intrigued, start exploring — not with the mindset of someone who knows, but someone who’s willing to admit they don’t. Be curious. Be “ignorant.” That’s how you’ll begin to truly see.

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STEP 3: Live Inside the World

Exploring isn’t enough. Knowing isn’t enough. You have to live in it. Breathe it. Let it shape your habits, your questions, your way of thinking. Only by living inside a world can you understand it from within.

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STEP 4: Step Back Out

Once you’ve lived it, leave. Don’t get stuck. Every world is beautiful, but you weren’t meant to be trapped in any of them. You can always return — but on your own terms, with freedom and awareness.

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I used this 4-step rhythm not just in “The Craft of Writing – Writing to Return, Books to Depart,” but also in my current project — a personal finance book originally for adults that’s now slowly transforming… into a book for children.

It’s been fun. And meaningful. If you’re standing at the edge of something new but still hesitating — maybe try these steps.

Let the world invite you in. And when the time comes, know how to step out too.

#hoalefinan

1.Teach by Age Group Ages 8 and up — the golden window (until the end of elementary school)

This is the best stage for parents to start laying a foundation. Here are a few things to focus on:

Giving, sharing, and helping Teach children to give first. It’s a lesson many adults still struggle with (myself included). Sometimes, teaching children becomes a way for us to self-correct.

To teach kids well, we must first work on ourselves.

Planting and nurturing Buy fruits like avocados. After making a smoothie, show your child how to save the seed and place it in a glass jar to sprout. Watch it grow. Later, when the sprout outgrows the jar, take it outside and plant it in the soil.

This teaches observation, patience, and care — all essential life skills.

Investing in dreams You don’t need children to say their dreams out loud. Just help them invest in their aspirations through learning, doing house chores, or sticking with a goal.

Discipline and order Teach them to live with structure. Keep things tidy. Build routines. Start with small things. Let this habit form early — it’s a lifelong lesson.

That’s all elementary school children need. And these lessons should be repeated, over and over, throughout life.

Middle School (Grades 6–9) Now they can begin to understand:

Spending

Income

Saving and allocation

Avoid overexposing younger children to actual money. That’s why in elementary years, limiting or even removing the tradition of giving lucky money (like red envelopes) can be helpful.

High School (Grades 10–12) At this stage, they can learn about:

Financial markets

Investment returns

But — never forget to keep revisiting earlier lessons. If they forget, gently remind them.

2.Teaching Boys and Girls Differently When children get older, I believe fathers should handle financial lessons for sons, and mothers for daughters.

Why? Because in many life situations:

Boys often carry responsibility,

While girls tend to support the load, rather than focus on consumption or lifestyle.

I haven’t explored gender-based financial education in depth yet, but it’s a direction worth thinking about.

Raising financially literate children is not about teaching them how to make money. It’s about helping them understand the value of life, The patience behind planting, The joy of giving, And the discipline of doing things right — even when no one’s watching.

#hoalefinan Raising Conscious Kids | Personal Finance & Parenting

1.The Cost of Staying Alive

1. To stay alive, you must pay a price — sometimes more than you realize.

We usually think of “cost of living” as what we spend on food, housing, transportation, taxes, fees... But that's only the visible layer.

When you look at finances from your own life outward into society, you see expenses — but not the full picture.

Zoom out further. See your entire life as a journey — from the moment you were a fetus in the womb to the day you take your last breath.

You’ll realize: the cost of simply existing is enormous. And at certain stages, it even grows exponentially.

When you were just forming as a fetus, your parents already had to eat well, take supplements, and care for themselves — to nourish you. That’s money spent to support your life before you even entered the world.

In many countries, when you buy food — even for a pregnant mother — you pay VAT (value-added tax). That means your life started contributing to the economy through taxes before you were even born.

And when you pass away, there are funeral costs, burial plots, memorial services... Yes, even death comes with taxes.

All these expenses — from cradle to grave — make up what I call the “cost of staying alive.”

2.Cost of Living vs. Cost of Staying Alive

Most personal finance frameworks look at pillars like: Income – Spending – Saving – Investing – Protection – Giving.

Those are essential — but they mostly focus on visible cash flow in daily life.

Meanwhile, the cost of staying alive takes a broader, deeper view. It includes both everyday expenses and the invisible cost of breathing, existing, and maintaining your humanity.

When you give to others, you might receive help in return later — like a long-term investment in goodwill.

After your 40s, if you’ve lived mindfully, you might not “use” your good deeds for yourself, but you’ll leave that value for your children, for future generations.

If the cost of living is what you calculate to survive each month, Then the cost of staying alive is that — plus the silent cost of being human.

It's expensive. That’s why life is precious.

So don’t live carelessly. Don’t waste this one, expensive, extraordinary life.

#hoalefinan Personal Finance | Reflections on Life & Money

Finance within finance, literature within literature, education within education... It’s hard to see clearly when you’re standing right inside the thing itself. And if you can’t see clearly, you can’t grow. The only way out is through comparison.

There was a time I spoke about finance through the lens of finance itself—that was before. Now, I’m developing a method to teach finance to adults not through math, but through the eyes of a child.

All complex knowledge must first be made simple. That’s how learning becomes effective.

1.Subtraction (−)

In personal finance, subtraction means giving. Subtract a part of what you have, then use addition to bring in what you truly need. Subtraction also helps you remove bad habits, wasteful spending, excessive consumption without quality...

Subtraction leads you toward smart consumption.

2.Addition (+)

The opposite of subtraction. Add good habits, add helpful actions, add knowledge and self-growth—because you’ll need all of it for the future.

When it's time to add, move slowly and steadily. When it’s time to subtract, be decisive. When it's time to let go, use multiplication to move fast.

3.Division (÷)

Divide profits. Divide responsibilities. Divide your life into sections. Share more.

Use division.

4.Multiplication (×)

Multiply your profits (compound interest)—not just in money, but also in knowledge. Multiply the benefits of collaboration. Multiply the value of relationships.

When that’s in place, it’s easier to divide.

Once you divide your life into compartments, you’ll find: Some parts need addition, Others need subtraction, Some benefit from multiplication, And some are ready for division...

Keep dividing things down like that—until your personal finances have nothing left to divide. That’s when you’ll know you’ve truly mastered your money.

How long does it take? Maybe years. But it’s worth it.

#hoalefinan #personalfinance

I was planning to write today about shortcuts to wealth.Last time, I shared the first shortcut: optimizing time.But somehow, I ended up thinking about kids again—before diving into my own approach.

Instead of working a full-time job like most people, I divide my full-time hours into three parts:

🔹 One-third goes to earning money to cover daily living. Honestly, there’s barely anything left over.Today, I met up with an old friend—she’s a university lecturer who used to invite me to give talks on personal finance.She kept teasing me about how well I manage my money—turns out I still have a reputation for being a smart spender.So yes, I’ve been reinforcing that trust with my recent sharing.

🔹 One-third goes to writing books and creating courses.I’m learning how to package knowledge into real products.

🔹 The final third is for studying business, markets, and building assets.It started with helping family, now I help clients too.

Why don’t I choose a full-time job?Well, the personal income tax law hasn’t kept up with how people actually live.No matter how you earn, taxes wait for their turn to show up.

I don’t work a lot.I haven’t started buying and selling yet either—I’m focused on branding and growing assets.If the time comes and it makes sense, then I’ll buy or sell.

To be honest, my mindset is that of a lazy person—someone who wants to live well, and live slow.I joked with my friend today: even if someone paid me 100 million VND/month for a full-time job, I’d still rather earn 5–10 million and have time for myself.

The rest of my time? I spend it wisely, and focus on asset growth.Because what matters isn’t how much you earn——it’s how you spend, and how you build from there.

#hoalefinan

Back in my early business days, I was obsessed with marketing and sales.It was so complicated, it made my brain hurt.

These days, I’m figuring things out as I go, and I’ve picked up a few things worth sharing.But I say this upfront so no one mislabels me or puts me in the wrong box.

The fifth technique I often use in communication is a mix of advance-retreat and tone-control — straight out of the creative writing toolbox.

In fiction, writers sometimes get annoyed at their characters.“Why are you saying one thing and doing another?”Characters can be stubborn — like kids.If you don’t get their quirks, they’ll mess with you.

Writers often end up both scolding and soothing them.Still mad, still gentle. That’s how it is.

I was going to only talk about “advance-retreat” in communication — which sounds like military strategy.But it fits.

When talking to experts or artists — people already successful — I step back.I offer, suggest, leave space.They don’t care much anyway, but I do it for good reason.(I’ll share that reason in another piece.)

When speaking to those who feel lost, stuck, or searching —I take the lead.My tone becomes slightly “mentor-ish,” talking about life, effort, direction…Not to preach, but to offer stability — like a lighthouse.

Sometimes, I stay silent.Everyone’s an adult here.

But then I remember the war zones, starving kids, the disabled man selling tissues by the street just to buy food.And I realize — I can’t stay silent.

My true role is support,But with no one else around, I temporarily lead.

Ironically, this technique?ChatGPT helped me see it.But honestly, I don’t start from technique.I start from heart.And technique just finds its way into my words.

#hoalefinan

Probably 95% of parents believe that. Even many financial experts might agree.

But if a child learns saving first, they may grow up focusing too much on saving and miss out on other important pillars.

If a child only focuses on making money, they might overlook the importance of building a meaningful career – even though the two often go hand in hand.

If a child concentrates too much on spending, they may grow up overly calculating – forgetting that life is long, and none of us can thrive without support from others.

In the book “Personal Finance for Children – A Child’s Journey of Financial Learning”, Hoa shares that from the age of 8, children should start learning personal finance – but their first lessons shouldn’t be about saving or income.

They should begin with: SOWING, INVESTING, HELPING, and GIVING.

These aren’t just primary school topics. These are lifelong foundations.

• Middle school can be the time to learn about spending, income, and saving.

• High school can cover financial markets and investment channels.

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Why should these concepts come first?

Because a child who learns to sow develops patience.

A child who learns to invest in their future will take responsibility for their personal growth.

A child who learns about helping and giving understands that when they need it most, someone will be there – and their journey through life will be lighter and smoother.

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Can miseducation be corrected later?

Adults still make mistakes – and learn to fix them. So yes, children can absolutely be guided in a better direction. And the earlier, the better.

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And if you don’t feel ready?

Then don’t rush to teach. Learn to become a wise parent first – it’ll serve your child better than any checklist of financial tips ever could.

#hoalefinan

Not only in Vietnam — even when I study books that made it out into the world — I rarely see anyone successfully connecting these two domains.

In the early days of writing, I kept them entirely separate.

People from professional circles were often surprised: “You work in finance, but you write novels?”

Back then, when I hadn’t really understood novels, I thought writing was easy.Just stringing words together, right?

After wrestling with 1–2 novels over 15 years — and expecting to spend maybe 30 years completing this two-part story — I told myself:“You can write, sure. But literary writing? Maybe just stop. There might not be enough life left for a second book.”

Ten, twenty, thirty years for a novel is a long time.But a novel doesn’t care — it refuses to be shortened.It demands to live and breathe through time.

While literature pulls me into inner worlds, sometimes so deep I don't even realize I’ve been living inside imagination…Finance, on the other hand, deals strictly with the external: money, markets, structure.

These two worlds seemed to have no intersection.But slowly, I began to notice:They share more than I ever imagined.

To bring them closer, I started with studying the shared ground.At first, that meant studying the human side: eating, breathing, surviving.

Eventually, I discovered something strange — but, to me, undeniable:To truly build wealth, one must pass through literature.Through novels, even.

Only then comes money.

Almost no other path works.If you skip that step, wealth tends to be temporary.Sooner or later, the system finds ways to reclaim what you made.

That’s why so many people get rich…Then go broke.Then disappear.

In Vietnam, things aren’t as intense yet.But look at China in the past 2–3 years.

The real estate collapse hasn’t recovered.Many have had to sell homes just to pay back loans taken during the housing bubble.Businesses shut down.Divorces followed.Debt breaks more than just banks.

And that’s just the beginning.

#hoalefinan

He guards his stuff like a treasure chest. Took a toy to class, another kid touched it, and boom — punched the poor guy right in the mouth. Teacher had to call both families in to negotiate peace.

He was about 4 or 5 back then.

Now he's 6. Every time he visits grandma, he ends up smacking his younger cousin over a toy dispute. Then storms off, muttering:

“I’m never going back to that house again.”

And mind you, he doesn’t even live in the city center.

But I’ll give him this — he’s generous at times, loves praise, quick on his feet, and kind of smart.

Same goes for my friend’s kid. Actually, same goes for every kid. And every adult.

All finance experts I’ve met — they’re brilliant. I’m still learning, trailing behind. Maybe I can spot a few things because I write. Not that I’m better — just looking from a different lens.

There are (at least) two ways to look at personal finance:

1.The Standard Way This is the common view: The individual looks outward to the market. Where’s the money? How to earn more? So we charge out into society, chasing income.

Even the five pillars of personal finance are designed from this view. We’re constantly trying to hold up financial weight with those pillars.

But here’s the trap: The chase for wealth? It’s a test of desire. And it’s where most of our outer-world problems start.

2.The Literary Way (I call it this — because I write.)

What if we looked inward, and traced the arc of our life story?

At different stages, our financial needs shift. If you stop tying your self-worth to your net worth, you’ll notice: Money is just a companion, not your identity.

You’ll understand why some rich people feel poor, and some poor people feel rich. It all depends on what enough means to you.

Then — and only then — you can set financial goals that align with your life’s deeper goals.

You’ll stop running around chasing money. Because you’ll know that every time you chase, you also lose something.

That, my friend, is the secret.

#hoalefinan

Expert = Expertise + Professionalism + Uniqueness

1.Expertise

True experts simplify many things to focus only on what really matters.

This is something CEOs can apply too – focus on the core, don’t get lost in the details.

Almost everyone goes through these career phases before becoming an expert:

• Exploring the field

• Officially entering the profession

• Feeling stuck, even quitting

• Coming back and diving deeper

• Breaking through

• Broadening knowledge while going deeper…

Most people stop here.

But after trying multiple careers, I’ve realized:

If you switch fields and go through the same cycle again, your second (or third) career will grow faster – because you’ve already mastered the meta-process.

Most importantly, this “cross-industry thinking” lets you see your field from the outside, revealing its hidden limits.

2.Professionalism

Professionalism doesn’t come after you become an expert.

It develops along the way – just like a writer slowly forms their writing style during the writing process.

Experts refine their way of working through repetition and pressure.

They observe others, borrow styles, and shape their own professional identity.

Writing is the same: your writing voice emerges through consistent discipline and intense practice.

3.Uniqueness

Experts are usually exceptionally good at one area within their field – far above average.

They gather knowledge widely, but they also keep learning from others to enrich their craft.

To stand out, they must (and should) define what makes them different.

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📚 In short:

Writing a book like an expert means showing up every day, clocking in thousands of hours, digging deep into your craft – and bringing together all three:

Expertise. Professionalism. Uniqueness.

#hoalefian

#expertise

#writingjourney

This technique is both unique and full of potential.Globally, many authors have experimented with it, and it’s considered a high-level writing skill.

In my book Comprehensive Personal Finance, to emphasize real estate price issues, I briefly touched on both protection and investment.Protection appears more frequently in family finance, as it’s essential for household stability.Investment, on the other hand, will have its own dedicated book. And my writing style will likely differ quite a bit from other global finance books — since I tend to focus on fundamental thinking.

From there, I was surprised to recognize the power of interwoven communication — especially when I realized Apple itself still applies communication strategies I often talk about: foundation-building, open space positioning, and now, interweaving.

Interweaving content across different books strengthens their position.It helps reinforce knowledge, turning fragmentation into cohesion.

Interweaving content across platforms reinforces each channel.Interweaving content within a single platform makes the communication dynamic — and hard to predict.This excites the curious and keeps the content from feeling stale.

I call this approach “breathing-through communication”, used especially during the foundation-building phase (or early market entry).

I haven’t figured out how to write about the next two layers of this strategy yet — they’re complex, subtle, and not easy to execute.Still, they’re incredibly worth pursuing. Interwoven communication is a powerful technique for building strong brands and lasting reputations.

Surely, if I keep writing books, I’ll stumble upon even more intriguing communication strategies 😄

P.S. Hanoi’s heat lately is brutal. Honestly, the more developed society becomes, the harder life feels — don’t you think?

#hoalefinan#marketing

Instead of focusing on what you lack, why not focus on what you’re wasting?

As a writer, I’ve realized something simple:

Whatever has an input, will eventually have an output.

Books are the output of writing.

But in order to write a book, I’ve had to invest a great deal into the input – knowledge, life experience, work experience.

While writing, I often share insights about finance and business – even though I haven’t had time to talk much about investing, which I also care deeply about.

One day, I realized I should start collecting these writings – who knows, they might come in handy.

Maybe I’ll make an eBook to give away. Maybe something else. I don’t know yet.

To make the most of it, I even take photos of my posts and turn them into short videos for TikTok and YouTube Shorts 😄

The truth is, I think each of us is already rich – rich in life stories, lessons, and experiences.

But we lack the skill of packaging.

When I started studying “shortcuts to prosperity that don’t involve money,” I discovered something surprising:

Money is a trap – and many people never escape it.

So they never see the road that’s just beside them – one that opens up the whole world.

No competition.

No rat race.

Just you, entering a new world.

And so many people still left behind.

Then the question is: Will you keep walking forward, or will you turn back?

I believe most of us would want to keep going – and then find a way to help others cross that trap, find their own path.

When I encouraged a friend of mine to write a book, I wasn’t even sure what his true abilities were.

But I saw this:

Despite years of working and living in the real world, he remained kind, honest – untouched by the grime of chasing money.

And I believe this with all my heart:

If he can set aside 2 or 3 years – not forever, just a few intense years – to write, he’ll step into the world in a new way.

And I’ll show him the road.

Because I’ve seen it already.

I’ve seen his future.

It’s beautiful.

#hoalefinan

My name is Hoa Le Finan,I’m an author, entrepreneur, and budding investor.Currently living and working in Vietnam.

My English is limited.My native language – Vietnamese – is something I’m still learning to master more deeply.My business and investment journey is just beginning, still tender like a sprout.But I believe, sooner or later, these seeds I’ve been planting with care will bear fruit.

Before becoming a book writer (I’ve written around 15–16 books in just under 3 years), I spent years in corporate roles: from accountant, chief accountant, CFO to CEO.Even while writing books, I continue to study and deepen my expertise.Now, I’m pouring everything I’ve learned into building my own products.I call it: “Business of Life Capital.”

I’m here on Mirror because I want to learn, grow, and connect –especially with the global community exploring blockchain, web3, and NFT.

After researching Web3 applications in finance and investing, I was overwhelmed – in the best way.But returning now, discovering its potential in publishing, I’m even more amazed.In Vietnam, many of these concepts are still new.But I believe: one step at a time, we’ll get there.

If you’ve read this far – thank you.I hope to share more about Vietnam’s business scene, and I’d love to hear your thoughts too.Let’s connect, encourage, and grow together.

Warm regards, Hoa Le Finan

📝 If you'd like, I can help you design a cover image or NFT visual that fits this article for Mirror – just let me know!