I first wrote this post in my email newsletter here.

When I was around six or seven years old, one of the biggest joys in my little world was sitting in between my two best friends, Win and Wen with my younger sister across me. My right hand gripped the creamy, soft durian. Dad's car was parked behind us, engine roaring softly. Empty durian husks laid everywhere.

We stopped along the rough gravel by the roadside of Malaysia for a rest.

We laughed, we fought and we told stories of our fave heroes. Once, my face swelled and I cried because I insisted Ryu was the best Street Fighter.

Dad often took us on road trips up Malaysia with his scout friends. The single-lane roads to Cameron Highlands can be frustrating. I remembered gripping my car seat tight, eyes focused on what was ahead: logging trucks with massive thick timber chugged under the hot mid-day sun. We had to reach our hotel before dark.

Dad would peek into the opposite lane, glanced into the side mirror, then rearview mirror, then forward again. No incoming cars.

Then he would swing the car into the opposite lane, pump the accelerator and race past the logging truck. Sometimes not just one, but two in a row.

Sometimes, they were huge trucks with baskets of fresh palm oil fruits.

All these experiences I grew up with - Dad was creating memory dividends for me. And they compound.

I learnt growing up that being present means when I have a long chat with an old friend we haven't met for years, look through old photos, when I whistle my fave song, watched my fave cartoons, smelling a familiar scent...

I get that warm, fuzzy feeling. These memories are triggered.

That's what makes us a human being.

After quitting the rat race in 2018, my life changed in a way I never expected. My blog took me to places I've never imagined: spoke at financial conferences, featured on news media, became a radio guest host, became a full-time investor, met investors across the world.

More importantly, I finally fulfilled my personal mission to help my mom build a retirement portfolio.

When we share our own experiences - the smile, the bonding, being vulnerable. It makes life simply more fun, fulfilled and alive.

But the true dividend I’ve collected is the one Dad left for me - The memory dividends I could never forget. And the true dividend I want to create is the one I can leave for my family.

And yes, took my elder son out to Malaysia couple of weeks for some racing fun!