5 Simple Sam Altman Simple Life Tips You Can Use to Improve Your Life Today

Sam Altman’s Success Principles: Small Daily Habits That Create Big Results

Sam Altman, one of the most influential thinkers in technology and entrepreneurship, has shared practical ideas that anyone can use to grow faster and make better decisions. These insights aren’t just for founders — they’re simple habits that can elevate your personal and professional life starting today.

1. Let Compounding Drive Your Growth

Altman consistently highlights that compounding — in skills, career, and projects — is the real engine behind exceptional results. Instead of chasing quick wins, focus on activities that build momentum over time.

How to apply:

- Choose roles or projects where your knowledge compounds the longer you stay.

- Invest daily in skills that scale: communication, creativity, AI literacy, software, and networking.

- Drop small opportunities that don’t meaningfully push your long‑term trajectory upward.

2. Strengthen Your Self‑Belief (Almost to the Edge of Delusion)

Altman notes that top performers carry a level of self‑belief that borders on unreasonable — and that confidence fuels their breakthroughs.

How to apply:

- Trust your instincts, especially when exploring unconventional or contrarian ideas.

- Treat every small win as proof that you can take on bigger challenges.

- Build tolerance for skepticism or doubt from others.

3. Operate Where Skills, Passion, and Value Intersect

Your highest‑impact work happens when what you’re good at, what energizes you, and what creates value overlap.

How to apply:

Ask yourself weekly:

- What do I naturally excel at?

- What activities give me energy instead of draining it?

- What meaningfully benefits others or the market?

Choose projects that sit at the center of all three.

4. Surround Yourself with Exceptional People

Altman emphasizes that your collaborators shape your entire trajectory.

How to apply:

- Stay close — physically or digitally — to communities where ambition and curiosity thrive.

- Prioritize environments filled with generous, driven, and forward‑thinking people.

- Help others without expecting anything in return; goodwill compounds too.

5. Focus + Relationships + Self‑Belief = Real Progress

Altman believes these three elements consistently drive meaningful outcomes.

How to apply:

- Remove distractions with intention.

- Build genuine relationships, not superficial networks.

- Commit to projects where you believe you can create something uniquely valuable.

Why the Wise Card Isn’t Your Best Option (Despite What YouTubers Say)

How to Choose Travel Cards That Outperforms Wise - A Simple Two‑Card Strategy Beats It

You have been lied to by sponsored and affiliated YouTubers for years. Most of the glowing Wise reviews you see on YouTube are affiliate‑driven — creators get paid when you sign up, so of course they make it sound perfect. Those glorious testimonies, mid‑market rates, low fees, global acceptance… but when you actually run the numbers, especially in real travel scenarios, Wise quietly becomes one of the more expensive options.

Today, I will give you a simple, real‑life example, assuming you are travelling to Malaysia and spending $500 CAD cash and $500 CAD on a no‑FX‑fee credit card. All calculations use today’s live Visa, MasterCard, and Wise rates (as of Jan 25, 2026).

Note: We’re ignoring the local ATM fee (usually ~$6) since it applies to both Wise and no-FX bank cards and varies by country.

The Wise Reality

Wise loves to promote the “mid‑market rate,” but they rarely highlight the fees required to access it. Converting $1,000 CAD to MYR in the Wise app shows a fee of roughly 0.60%, or $6.00 CAD gone instantly.

Then comes the ATM problem. Wise Canada only gives you $350 CAD of free withdrawals per month. The remaining $150 triggers a 1.75% fee plus a $1.50 flat charge. That’s another $4.13 CAD.

Total cost: $10.00 CAD — just to use your own money.

The Killer Combo That Beats Wise

Now compare that to a simple two‑card setup:
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + EQ Bank Card (Find similar cards in your country;, for example, a credit card and a bank card with no FX fee)

Spending ($500):
The Scotia Passport Visa Infinite charges zero FX fees and uses the Visa network rate. Today, Visa shows 2.9005 MYR per CAD, while the mid‑market rate is 2.91. The Tiny spread is 0.3%.

Cash ($500):
EQ Bank charges no international ATM fees, no withdrawal limits, and no penalties. You simply get the MasterCard network rate — with no surprises. (The local foreign ATM will change you an ATM fee for both Wise and no FX bank card. We will ignore this fee for to keep things simple.)

Total cost for the entire $1,000 trip: about $3.25 CAD which comes from the tiny tiny 0.3% spread.

The Final Blow

Wise costs over three times more than this two‑card combo for the exact same trip. And the gap widens when you factor in perks: The Scotia Passport Visa Infinite includes six free airport lounge passes and full travel insurance. Wise gives you… a plastic card and a bill.

The Verdict

Wise is fine as a backup. But as your primary travel card? You’re paying for hype — and for YouTubers’ affiliate commissions. You deserve a setup that actually saves money on the ground, not just in sponsored videos.

5 Reasons to Keep TD First Class Visa Infinite

Why I Am Keeping TD First Class Visa Infinite Travel Credit Card

1. The $100 Annual Travel Credit

TD First Class Visa Infinite has an annual fee of $130, but each year it gives you a $100 travel credit when you purchase/book $500+ in accommodations on Expedia For TD, making this card only $39 per year. Visit the TD website for more details; one thing to note is that flight booking doesn't qualify.

2. 4 Free Lounge Passes + Membership

TD First Class Visa Infinite includes 4 complimentary lounge visits through Visa Airport Companion (DragonPass). Once your free visits are depleted, you can still access lounges for roughly $32–$35 USD per visit, because the annual DragonPass membership—normally up to $100—is fully covered.

This single perk alone can easily offset the card’s annual fee multiple times over.

3. Annual Birthday Bonus

Once a year, generally around your birthday, TD gives you a bonus based on how much you spent, up to 10,000 points—which is about $50 in free travel. This, along with Point #1, can pay off your annual fee.

4. ExpediaForTD Boosted Earn Rate

You earn points fast on ExpediaForTD because every dollar gets you 8 TD Rewards Points. 200 points equals $1 in travel, so that works out to a 4% return on every booking.

5. The $2500 Hotel or Motel Burglary Insurance

This is the standout protection that genuinely beats Scotiabank and Amex. Most cards offer very low hotel burglary coverage—the Amex Gold caps you at $500 , and the Scotiabank Passport only goes up to $1,000. The TD First Class Visa Infinite, on the other hand, covers up to $2,500 for items stolen from your hotel room, as long as 75% of the stay is charged to the card.

The TD First Class Visa Infinite isn’t the flashiest travel card on the market, but it delivers real, measurable value that many competing cards simply don’t match. Between the annual travel credit, lounge access, boosted ExpediaForTD earn rate, birthday bonus, and industry‑leading hotel burglary insurance, this card consistently pays for itself—and then some.

If you book travel even a couple of times a year, or if you want strong protection without jumping into premium‑fee cards, the TD First Class Visa Infinite remains one of the most practical long‑term keepers in Canada.

My Surface 4 Fried After Just 4 Years

My Surface Pro 4 Finally Died — What Happened and What’s Next

After years of dependable service, my Surface Pro 4 has finally reached the end of its life. The device didn’t fail gradually or give me months of warning; it went from working normally to completely unusable in a single moment. One day it powered on, froze at the Windows logo, and never recovered. No matter how many resets, troubleshooting steps, or recovery attempts I tried, it refused to boot.

I took it to a professional repair shop to rule out software issues. They attempted a full Windows reinstall, hardware diagnostics, and every recovery method available. The verdict was clear: theThe Surface Pro 4 had suffered a deep hardware failure. The technician described it as “not worth repairing,” and after seeing the results myself, I agreed. The device had effectively burned out internally, and the cost of repair would exceed the value of the machine.

I spent $3200 CAD on this laptop and didn't expect it to die this early! Now I feel like it was an enormous waste of money! I lost some YouTube backup files and other documents that I can never recover. It all happened so fast.

And then I had to spend a week searching for new laptops. In this process, I looked at various models and makes to replace my Surface 4, but they were all too pricey. I consulted a lot with AI to reach my final conclusion – which I will talk about next week.

We Walked the Rainbow Bridge to the USA From Canada

Walking from Canada to the USA at Niagara Falls: What You Need to Know

About three decades ago, I walked onto the Rainbow Bridge from the U.S. side—only halfway through. I didn’t cross the border back then, but the experience stayed with me. So when I recently walked from Canada to the United States across the same bridge, it brought back vivid memories and a sense of full-circle adventure.

In our recent journey, we—Ahmed Dawn and Walking Lady—documented the entire process of walking from the Canadian side to the U.S. side. Starting near Casino Niagara and the Radisson Hotel, we took a short Uber ride to the pedestrian entrance of the Rainbow Bridge to save our energy for the walk itself.

The crossing begins with a clearly-marked path leading to the turnstile area. Here’s the key detail: you’ll need to pay a $1 toll to access the bridge. The machines accept Canadian or U.S. coins, and change machines are available if you don’t have exact change. You can use four quarters or a loonie—either works.

Once you’re past the turnstile, you’ll walk across the bridge with stunning views of Niagara Falls. The walk is short but memorable, offering a rare chance to stand between two nations with the roar of the falls in the background.

At the U.S. border checkpoint, you’ll need to present your passport and any required visa documents. For Canadian citizens, no visas or additional documents are required. The officers may ask basic questions about your visit, so be prepared to disclose your travel plans.

After clearing immigration, you’ll officially be on the U.S. side of Niagara Falls. From there, you can explore attractions like Niagara Falls State Park, the Observation Tower, and more.

Tips for Travelers:

• Bring exact change for the toll.

• Carry your passport and visa documents.

• Check border hours before you go.

Walking across the Rainbow Bridge is a unique travel experience that blends convenience, beauty, and international adventure—all for just $1.

View my full trip here: Walking Niagara Falls Canada to USA on Rainbow Bridge