Another Click-Bait Essay about What You Need to Do to Live A Better Life, Because the One You Have is Not Good Enough?

A short deepculture essay

This is an essay with 10 things you need to do to have a better life.

Just kidding.

Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.

Elbert Hubbard

Hello friends,

Nope, there are no interesting things and no links in this issue. And no list with things to do to have a better life.

This is just a short deepculture essay about what it means to live a better life, written by someone who has absolutely no idea what it means to live a better life. I thought to mention this now, and not at the end of the essay. Now you know and you can just skip it. Or you can bare with me and keep reading.

As Herodotus pointed out (I mentioned what Herodotus said just to trick you into thinking I am smart) , the daily routine of a human being is similar to the bows of the archers. The archers string their bows tightly, and then relax them, because if their bows would remain tightly strung all the time, they would snap and would lose their use. The same principle applies to our daily lives. If we are being too serious for too long, we will just snap, like the bows do. Now, we surely don’t want to snap, so we need to relax and looooooosen up.

So let’s do just that. This essay is meant to relax you, while reading it. So don’t take it too seriously. You can let me know if this worked or not. Who am I kidding? Of course it will not work, and you’re not relaxed yet. Are you?

But anyway, it’s actually about living a better life. And being relaxed is a big part of having a better life, right?

So you want to live a better life? What a stupid question. Of course you do!

But what does living a better life even mean?

As I already mentioned, I have no idea. So I asked around, you know.

“You need to eat healthier, sleep better, and exercise more often”, said the doctor.

“You need to get out more often, have a drink mate, have some fun, meet some girls” said my unmarried friend with no kids, who was finishing his third beer.

“You need to come more often to church, be closer to God” said my local priest.

“You need to invest in crypto, in stocks, make your first million, etc.” said a young man in a nice expensive suit, near a big house with a pool and a Ferrari parked outside. I don’t remember the link to the video.

“You need to let go and connect with your inner consciousness” said one spiritual guru.

Okaaay, so it seems there’ a lot of things I need to do to live a better life. But I am kind of a lazy person, so I don’t think I can do all those things. Too much work for me. I mostly identify myself with Garfield, love the couch and the food and a good show. What do I know about living a better life?

So let’s continue. As there was no one left to ask, I decided to ask myself. Well, my brain.

“Hey brain, how are you? I have a question: what do I need to do to live a better life?”

And I waited for a few minutes (I wonder why) …and then finally, I got an answer.

And my brain told me these wise words (they seemed wise words because there was this voice in my head, a deep voice, full of wisdom, that would normally come from a very old man with a long beard, and so on..)

Anyways, here’s what my old brain with beard and a cane told me:

There are many things you can do to improve your life, in many ways. So yes, there are things you can recommend to other people. The usual stuff, you know…don’t smoke, eat better, exercise… but other than that, don’t give them advice on how to live their lives.

Because there is no recipe for a better life, and there is no right answer. Even if you people are similar, each one of you is actually different. Unique is the word I am looking for. So if you are unique, then living a better life means each one of you will have a unique recipe for that.

But I promised to give you an answer, so what I can provide are some key ingredients that make a good life:

A good life is when you have a roof over your head, and food on your table.

A good life is when you feel connected to your surroundings and to the people who live there. When you politely ask your neighbor how his day was. When you just smile to people, and they smile back.

A good life is when you have time to enjoy the simple things in life, like a coffee or a chocolate on a cozy afternoon.

A good life is when you have the time and the wisdom to stop and smell the roses, to enjoy the sound of the rain, and the everyday beauty and magic of nature.

A good life is when you laugh. So don’t forget to laugh. And also, to be able to laugh at yourself.

A good life is when you first try to understand why someone shouted at you, before shouting right back at them. To remember that words can hurt a lot, and it’s difficult to take them back.

A good life is when you and your loved ones are all healthy, living in love and enjoying every single day together.

A good life is when you have peace in your life, in your mind, and in your heart.

And then, the deep old wise voice disappeared.

I guess he was trying to say, that living a better life is an internal exercise. So it’s about me, what I do, how I see my life, and how I am reacting to what happens everyday in my life.

“Thank you, brain" I said. “I hope I will remember all this next week as well. But I doubt it.”

Wish you all a good life!

Don’t chase a better one, just learn to fully enjoy the one you already have.