Shift your focus from the coercive concept of ‘happiness’ to ‘fulfillment,’ as a fulfilled life can encompass pain and difficult days while still providing a sense of leading the right life, making it a more realistic and sustainable goal.
Every morning, lie in bed and premeditate the day by considering all possible outcomes, including the darkest possibilities (e.g., plans foiled, reputation destroyed, even death), to widen your sense of reality, meet it without rage, and foster gratitude when negative events don’t occur.
Adopt an outlook of ‘cheerful pessimism’ or ‘melancholy,’ which involves a wry acceptance that life is often difficult but also beautiful, as this approach can lead to greater fulfillment and is an emblematic sign of maturity.
Engage with non-human elements like nature, pets, or children, as they help de-center the adult human ego, recalibrating the importance of purposeful life and providing relief from the constant competition for human recognition.
In relationships, acknowledge and openly discuss your own ‘craziness’ or imperfections (e.g., by asking ‘how are you crazy?’), as this honesty lowers the temperature, accommodates reality, and fosters more livable connections than unrealistic expectations of perfection.
Manage your expectations to align with reality, rather than clinging to unrealistic optimism, to reduce disappointment and anger when faced with undesirable but predictable situations, like rain when expecting sun.
Counter runaway perfectionism by reminding yourself that humans are both wonderful and appalling, capable of greatness and folly, and accepting this dual nature can lead to a more realistic and less brittle self-perception.
Allow yourself a broader, more honest understanding of what it means to be human, acknowledging that we are all silly, hopeful, desperate, sad, and beautiful, to lift your spirit and combat loneliness stemming from collective self-presentation.
Recognize and admit the inherent difficulties and ‘pain’ involved in worthwhile tasks (like writing or entrepreneurship) to avoid panicking too early when challenges arise, understanding that struggle is a normal part of the process.
Consider adopting a mindset akin to religious dictums like ’life is suffering’ (Buddhism) or ‘we are all sinners’ (Catholicism) to start from a more realistic and less brittle foundation, acknowledging universal challenges and imperfections.
Remember the ancient Greek concept of overreach, exemplified by Icarus, to temper ambition and hope with an awareness of human limitations, preventing the dangers that arise when the mind forgets its boundaries.
Seek humor in the gap between hope and reality, as this collision offers an opportunity for a smile, helping to navigate difficult situations with a lighter perspective.
Consider incorporating AG1, a daily health drink, into your routine to support digestion and enrich your gut microbiome with five strains of beneficial bacteria, as it contains plant-based compounds that act as food sources for beneficial bacteria.