HOW TO LIVE

Here’s a fact I find hilarious: we only know about several early Christian heresies because we have records of people complaining about them.1 The original heretics’ writings, if they ever existed, have been lost.

I think about this whenever I am about to commit my complaints to text. Am I vanquishing my enemies’ ideas, or am I merely encasing them... See more

But what if — as I am convinced — a fully formed person is not about optimizing productivity but rather about understanding and even embracing the messy inefficiencies of life?

Wash every bowl, every dish as if you are bathing a baby - breathing in, feeling joy, breathing out, smiling. Every minute can be a holy, sacred minute5. Where do you seek the spiritual? You seek the spiritual in every ordinary thing that you do every day. Sweeping the floor, watering the vegetables, and washing the dishes become holy and sacred if... See more

The goal is not to be better and better. The goal, every day, is to simply feel where you are and accept it. What is happiness, after all? Happiness is enjoying yourself as you are right now and connecting to other people as they are . That’s it. You don’t have to change anything. You don’t have to win anyone over. You just have to savor this day.

I... See more

fresh laundry, cats purring, salty air at the beach, the musk from new leather, a spritz of angel’s share. sunlight pouring through blinds on a slow morning, the weight of a good hardcover book, silk pillowcases, the soft crackle of a fireplace, buttery croissants from a quiet corner café. the feeling of slipping into a cashmere sweater, perfectly... See more

scent of perfume on your collar. how gooey clouds look at sunset. clouds. sunsets. good morning texts, morning walks, good banter, beautiful brain dumps on substack. when spotify gives a really good recommendation. impressive cinematography. the mountains! skiing. beautiful cafes with beautiful friends. mountains. hiking? crisp, crisp, crisp air.... See more

Nature is one of the strongest pathways we have to awe, but it’s not the only meaningful way in. “Even a beautiful skyscraper, a feat of human ingenuity, can elicit awe,” Dr. Stellar says. You can also embrace the sublime at a concert or museum, during a mindfulness meditation or spiritual ceremony, or in the throes of a psychedelic experience.

Others simply took the initiative, perhaps sensing that a person caught in the midst of a paradigm-shattering trauma is not the most capable delegator.