The following is the opening section of my friend Khe Hy’s probing personal essay “A (Broken) Playbook for Happiness”:
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Let’s play a game together.
I want you to close your eyes and think back to your early 20s.
Bring into focus what you were doing. Where you were situated. What you were wearing. Whom you were hanging with. And the dreams and desires that consumed your intimate daily thoughts.
Now ask yourself the question:
What’s something you wanted back then that you thought would make you really happy?
Maybe it was a really nice watch, so that you could subtly flex your bonus to your college bros.
Or a serious relationship to get over that sting of being shunned in high school.
Or running a marathon – at a time, that would make others say, “Wow, what an athlete.”
Or maybe it was getting accepted to a prestigious MBA program – at a quaint, little school outside of Boston.
Alright, now that you’ve identified that achievement or item, ask yourself:
Did it actually bring me lasting happiness?
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You can read the rest of the essay (about 3 min. long) here.
If you’re a serious beginner interested in learning how to meditate, then you can join Khe Hy and me for a free 4-day meditation challenge starting this Tuesday.
