There is a quote that I’ve been carrying around for a few years now. It’s one of the few core things I believe.
My little manifesto goes:
“In this life, find things you love, and people you love, and make time for both.”
Everywhere I’ve gone, it’s worked for me. It’s not exactly the most complicated formula, but it makes sense. And as long as I’ve stuck to it, I’ve been happy.
The “people” part is something that everyone gets. But it’s the “things” part that people misunderstand.
Things have to be passions or hobbies. They have to active. Not necessarily physically active — one of my things is seeing live music, and I see a lot of it — but it has to be you, out in the world, doing something.
If you try to replace activity with the other type of things — your possessions, your stuff — the formula doesn’t really work.
Shopping might make you happy. But just having clothes? Probably not.
Owning a big TV doesn’t really do much. But inviting friends over for movie night on your flat screen? That’ll do.
Look: Good things happen to those who actually do stuff. So be active. Make time for the things and the people you love.
It’s not exactly Gandhi-level thought, but I promise you, it works.