Human Flourishing

And in Rebecca Solnit’s words, “Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency…. Hope is a gift you don't have to surrender, a power you don't have to throw away.”

That is pretty unfair of me, because not only am I assuming an awful lot, but Laszlo seems pretty content, certainly more content and happier than I am. Feeling sorry for someone, projecting your idea of success and meaning, while perhaps well intended, is awfully insulting

People with very high expectations have very low resilience

If you're unsatisfied you have two options. Change your experience or change your relationship to experience. The first is agency, the second is spirituality. Both capacities are important, and it takes a lifetime to get the balance right

I seek money, because some part of me knows that with it I can buy things and do things that will deliver feelings of joy, security, wonder, or freedom. I want those feelings and so I often think it is actually the money that I want.

Stick to a schedule most days, and once in a while, break it entirely. Both are critical to success. Some of the most ambitious people live the most boring lives—they know what they need to do, so they keep their head down and focus on that. But if you do that all the time, you risk becoming stagnant and stuck in your ways. (Yes, this is one place ... See more

dentify small purchases that make you happy, and don’t feel guilty about spending money on them. Ignore financial experts who tell you to save by not buying coffee or minor indulgences. Those purchases are not going to make a difference in your longterm financial goals, but they can have an impact on your immediate happiness.