Darling to my heart,
Did you sleep well last night, dearest? I'm at the balcony, holding a cup of hot chocolate after having sourdough garlic with olive oil for breakfast. It's 6:45 a.m. in Mumbai. The road is busy with motorcycles, cars, and buses. Traffic jams are everywhere. Horns are everywhere. People rush to go to work, students rush to school and college. The air is full of carbon dioxide. People are always in a rush.
Any interesting topic to talk about? I have one. Sit closely to me. We will have something to think about. Last night, before hitting the hay, I listened to Emily Esfahani Smith's TED Talk. She talked about two main things that people find hard to distinguish—what is important in life? To be happy or to have a meaningful life. Philosophers tried to explain these things decades ago.
_
Is there more to life than being happy? Here’s what writer Emily Esfahani Smith discovered:
More people feel hopeless, depressed, and alone. It's a lack of something else—a lack of meaning in life. Happiness comes and goes as a state of comfort and ease, making us feel good in the moment. But having meaning gives you something to hold on to.
Meaning comes from four pillars:
1. Belonging: The first pillar is belonging. It comes from belonging to and serving something bigger than yourself.
2. Purpose: For others, the key to meaning is the second pillar: purpose. The key to purpose is using your strengths to serve others. Purpose is less about what you want and more about what you give.
3. Transcendence: It allows you to rise above yourself and step beyond yourself, developing the best within you in a completely different way.
4. Storytelling: The fourth pillar is storytelling—the story you tell yourself about yourself. Creating a narrative from the events of your life brings clarity.
_
I wanted to write more, but time always has its own way of diverting us. I need to get ready to go for a site visit. There’s no client to entertain; just a regular inspection. I wanted to hear your mind thinking from a different perspective. I think this topic is quite challenging and interesting to discuss. Take care of yourself, eat well, rest well, and no driving at 280 km/h, please.