you can't hoard life

any attempt at a meaningful existence is undermined if your main focus is always on increasing your access to things – even if the “things” in question are wonderful experiences, deep relationships, and so forth, as opposed to sports cars and jewelery.

In recent years, I've begun to suspect that a life consumed by ideas will not bring me closer to the divine. The freedom I seek, it seems, doesn't lie in my laying about, steeped in my own brain, but rather in the stillness I've found in the more mundane moments of my life. In these moments, there is no euphoria, nor even any active reflection on g... See more

There are two ways to make the world more mesmerizing: to seek out new and increasingly intense experiences, or to loosen the filters that make ordinary experience “ordinary”. You can go skydiving, or you can meditate for long enough that walking feels like skydiving. Either way, I think what we’re seeking is an escape back into what we used to be,... See more

A circle of friends, a stable mind and better creative skills are all very useful for a happy life! But happiness consists in taking pleasure from time spent with those friends; from relishing the absence of anxiety that comes with a calmer mind; or from putting those creative skills to use – from cashing in the resources, you might almost say, rat... See more