Chinese philosopher Confucius said, “We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.”
One life.
Author Neil Gaiman said, “When we consider that each of us has only one life to live, isn’t it rather tragic to find men and women, with brains capable of comprehending the stars and the planets, talking about the weather; men and women, with hands capable of creating works of art, using those hands only for routine tasks; men and women, capable of independent thought, using their minds as a bowling-alley for popular ideas; men and women, capable of greatness, wallowing in mediocrity; men and women, capable of self-expression, slowly dying a mental death while they babble the confused monotone of the mob?”
I was listening to entrepreneur Naval Ravikant on the Tim Ferriss podcast and he was talking about happiness hacks. He said the path to happiness is peace. Acceptance. No judgement. When we decide that someone else is happier or that we’ve been treated unfairly, the story in our head starts and the downward spiral away from happiness and into the pit of despair begins. Say yes to what happens. Don’t think about what it could have been, should have been, would have been.
That will bring peace and peace will bring happiness. And isn’t the only thing we want out of our one precious life happiness?
One life. Let’s use our gifts and live it.