In Autumn 2023 I started to notice a gradual increase in stress levels woven into the world around me.  People seemed to be driving more erratically, they were under more pressure at work and the cost of living crisis was hitting everybody's pockets. In November I went out to celebrate my brother's birthday and seemed like every conversation I was having revolved around mental health or money worries. Then between Christmas and New Year I went out for dinner with some friends and we had a really interesting disagreement about the wold and how it works. Quite often in life if you follow the money you'll get to the answers you're looking for. And this is my story.