You had me chuckling with the "magic pill" and "invisible bitcoin" references! But on a serious note, this article is a treasure trove of wisdom. It's so easy to lose sight of what truly matters in the daily grind, and Marc's story is like a wake-up call. It reminds us that happiness isn't about the things we collect, but the connections we nurture. It's about choosing to keep the moments of love, laughter, and shared experiences close to our hearts. Thank you for sharing this beautiful piece – it's a reminder that happiness isn't an elusive unicorn, but a choice we make every day.
Thank you Alexander. My life goal seems to be to curb my ambition enough to appreciate what I have and the beauty of simplicity. Warren Buffett defines success in that the people you love, love you back. I've always liked that.
I lived in a cloister as well as a monastery and was sure to attend a silent retreat for seven days at least every week after my twins were born severe challenges caused by the hospital
I had dokusan with my teacher at the time, adyashanti. He always reminded me how lucky I was to have other people to care for.
It doesn’t mean we don’t have to deal with that in our world, but it does make our inner life more approachable and softens our hearts to care for others.
Rewarding read thank you.
I was a little confused in the beginning about the relationships between the different people .
I was once on a meditation retreat when the teacher devoted his evening talk to a defense of mediocrity. It was so contrary to conventional wisdom and it helped me see the achievement-oriented assumptions I’d been living with.
Since then, I’ve understood mediocrity as at least potentially more nuanced and intentional than mere indifference. And appreciated that some people’s willingness to live differently is a gift to us all.
That's so great Christopher. I've had similar conversations about the beauty of mediocrity. Would be fun to link up this Fall to talk about this further.
“Live Simply”…a wooden sign hanging above my front door. I’m not a creator on here, just a consumer of great content. Thank you. I received your book last week and will be enjoying it soon.
Thank you Kyla for the book support and do let me know what you think about it.
Love the sign. My kids and I make posters with reminders of great experiences we want to remember like enjoying a good peach and catching a red fish. All simple things.
A lot of pureness felt in this read. Some days I want to quit my job and just work some part time jobs that I really enjoy! But the health insurance keeps me tied to my 9-5, plus I do like it. We have made the conscious decision to rent at least for now (it's making life simpler). We also share a car by choice - it works out with a little car scheduling. We could buy another car and we could buy a house, but we chose not to and keep it simple. It feels good and we are happy for it.
Michael, I like how you capture the essence of true happiness in such a relatable way. Your brother-in-law's simple life might look "mediocre" to some, but it's actually pretty inspiring. It's a reminder that true richness comes from connections and experiences, not just money or stuff.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on such an impactful and simple concept. What a wonderful world this world be if each person who reads this changes their perspective from focusing on themselves today and noticed the people around them. All habits begin with one small step.👣
Thank you so much for writing about your brother-in-law. I would love to know more about their life in that little house, their pace of life, and their connections with local people. It sounds like absolute heaven … right down to the beat-up car 😊 Hopefully your former monk BIL will start a Substack; I would definitely subscribe!
Our friend Tom Kuegler told me that you are one of the top five best writers he has ever read. this article is proof of that. You tell such a simple story, with a very profound message, and deeply palpable images. I feel like you are sitting with me in the French café with a couple cups of coffee as I read your story.
now that I've got my gushing over...let me comment.
I live with a man I lovingly call "Hobbit". On our first date, he described himself as a humble Hobbit, low to the ground who lives life through a "view from below". His one biggest joy and happiest quest in life is to be useful to others. He works as a web-master for the state government. doing all the grunt work tech stuff that other people consider mundane and boring. He takes great pleasure in "taking things off other people's plates". He's good at the work, getting the little things done without missing anything. And, moreso, he's good at making the people who need the work done to feel safe, relaxed, comfortable, and at ease.
Every single day, as he calls himself "the butt monster" and chases me up the stairs to my own home office, I wonder if I do enough to "take things off his plate" (which is really putting things on his plate...because I feed him three meals a day) and create the joy for him that he creates for others.
thank you for shining a beautiful kaleidoscopic magnifying glass onto my inner workings of my marriage.
Absolutely fabulous. So well written. And the meaning such a clear reminder. Thank you Michael.
Thank you. Cool family I married into..
Couldn’t agree more!
You had me chuckling with the "magic pill" and "invisible bitcoin" references! But on a serious note, this article is a treasure trove of wisdom. It's so easy to lose sight of what truly matters in the daily grind, and Marc's story is like a wake-up call. It reminds us that happiness isn't about the things we collect, but the connections we nurture. It's about choosing to keep the moments of love, laughter, and shared experiences close to our hearts. Thank you for sharing this beautiful piece – it's a reminder that happiness isn't an elusive unicorn, but a choice we make every day.
Thank you Alexander. My life goal seems to be to curb my ambition enough to appreciate what I have and the beauty of simplicity. Warren Buffett defines success in that the people you love, love you back. I've always liked that.
“The big secret that these people share isn’t a secret at all — they’ve just realized there’s more to life than themselves.”
If only this were the worst kept secret in the whole world. 😊
I lived in a cloister as well as a monastery and was sure to attend a silent retreat for seven days at least every week after my twins were born severe challenges caused by the hospital
I had dokusan with my teacher at the time, adyashanti. He always reminded me how lucky I was to have other people to care for.
It doesn’t mean we don’t have to deal with that in our world, but it does make our inner life more approachable and softens our hearts to care for others.
Rewarding read thank you.
I was a little confused in the beginning about the relationships between the different people .
"how lucky I was to have other people to care for." Pffff if that's not a great thought I don't know what is. Liking you more and more Prajna;).
It takes simple things to build a happy life. Love this story.
Thank you Amy. Marcs a cool guy.
Great story and reminder that the key to happiness is in our control.
Heyo Marji - I always think happiness is a choice. Hope you and the fam are doing well.
Great story.
I was once on a meditation retreat when the teacher devoted his evening talk to a defense of mediocrity. It was so contrary to conventional wisdom and it helped me see the achievement-oriented assumptions I’d been living with.
Since then, I’ve understood mediocrity as at least potentially more nuanced and intentional than mere indifference. And appreciated that some people’s willingness to live differently is a gift to us all.
That's so great Christopher. I've had similar conversations about the beauty of mediocrity. Would be fun to link up this Fall to talk about this further.
I'd love to chat further about this, Michael!
“Live Simply”…a wooden sign hanging above my front door. I’m not a creator on here, just a consumer of great content. Thank you. I received your book last week and will be enjoying it soon.
Thank you Kyla for the book support and do let me know what you think about it.
Love the sign. My kids and I make posters with reminders of great experiences we want to remember like enjoying a good peach and catching a red fish. All simple things.
A lot of pureness felt in this read. Some days I want to quit my job and just work some part time jobs that I really enjoy! But the health insurance keeps me tied to my 9-5, plus I do like it. We have made the conscious decision to rent at least for now (it's making life simpler). We also share a car by choice - it works out with a little car scheduling. We could buy another car and we could buy a house, but we chose not to and keep it simple. It feels good and we are happy for it.
I think I tasted this with my wife first, and my son later. When I can forget about myself and serve others, a weight lifts.
But the problem is that when I go back to myself, everything rotten and painful is still there.
I think we need to find peace within ourselves first, regardless of our altruist acts.
I absolutely understand. There are so many steps to comprehending ourselves. But you are still moving forward by acknowledging your pain.
Yes, self-awareness is the foundation.
I’ve improved in recent years.
Michael, I like how you capture the essence of true happiness in such a relatable way. Your brother-in-law's simple life might look "mediocre" to some, but it's actually pretty inspiring. It's a reminder that true richness comes from connections and experiences, not just money or stuff.
Thank you Michael.
Powerful message, masterly written.
Loved this conclusion:
"Some people would call this a mediocre existence.
The older I get, the more I think it’s extraordinary."
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on such an impactful and simple concept. What a wonderful world this world be if each person who reads this changes their perspective from focusing on themselves today and noticed the people around them. All habits begin with one small step.👣
Thank you so much for writing about your brother-in-law. I would love to know more about their life in that little house, their pace of life, and their connections with local people. It sounds like absolute heaven … right down to the beat-up car 😊 Hopefully your former monk BIL will start a Substack; I would definitely subscribe!
Our friend Tom Kuegler told me that you are one of the top five best writers he has ever read. this article is proof of that. You tell such a simple story, with a very profound message, and deeply palpable images. I feel like you are sitting with me in the French café with a couple cups of coffee as I read your story.
now that I've got my gushing over...let me comment.
I live with a man I lovingly call "Hobbit". On our first date, he described himself as a humble Hobbit, low to the ground who lives life through a "view from below". His one biggest joy and happiest quest in life is to be useful to others. He works as a web-master for the state government. doing all the grunt work tech stuff that other people consider mundane and boring. He takes great pleasure in "taking things off other people's plates". He's good at the work, getting the little things done without missing anything. And, moreso, he's good at making the people who need the work done to feel safe, relaxed, comfortable, and at ease.
Every single day, as he calls himself "the butt monster" and chases me up the stairs to my own home office, I wonder if I do enough to "take things off his plate" (which is really putting things on his plate...because I feed him three meals a day) and create the joy for him that he creates for others.
thank you for shining a beautiful kaleidoscopic magnifying glass onto my inner workings of my marriage.
Made me think of "find yourself by losing yourself in the service of others" (Gandhi)