the hidden cost of a good life

one of the most helpful mental exercises i do is to imagine what my 90 year old self would be thinking if he woke up as current me for a day.

he’d probably cry tears of joy at how lucky i am.

today, i got to sleep in and wake up to the sound of birds chirping. my knees and back don’t hurt, and i can get myself out of bed with no difficulty. emma woke up a few minutes before me and got the kettle going for our morning tea. my parents are still alive and well, and my 15 year-old childhood dog is still able to go on walks with me (and wag his tail the whole time). i feel a deep excitement about the things i’m working on personally and professionally. and i don’t even have wrinkles yet!

it’s crazy how simple all of those things sound, but it shows that there’s some truth in that old saying, “the best things in life are free.”

but even though most of those things don’t cost money, there is one hidden fee:

the cost of taking things for granted.

see, the whole reason i like that mental exercise is because it forces me to pay attention to the things that i normally don’t.

i never notice that my knees don’t hurt - i only notice when they do.

i’m used to having my morning tea with emma - but i miss it when i can’t.

i can see a missed call notification from my mum and think, “i’ll call her back later” - but when she’s gone, i’d do anything to take that call.

none of those things are promised, and yet i find myself acting like they are.

i think that’s why one of the most common traits of the happiest people i know is some sort of meditation/mindfulness ritual.

whether it’s journaling or meditating or even just going on walks with no distractions, there seems to be a direct correlation between the amount of time a person spends appreciating what they have and the amount of happiness they feel.

because the truth is, whether you appreciate things or not, they’ll all be taken away from you one day.

the universe doesn’t care!

it’s a sad thought, but it’s also one that makes me smile in some morbidly beautiful way.

because if nothing in my life is mine to keep forever, that just makes it matter so much more.

that’s what makes each of those ‘little’ things feel so big when i think about them.

there’s a quote that feels pretty relevant here:

“the good old days are nothing more than the present moment being taken for granted.”

(wow look at how deep and philosophical i am)

seriously though, if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re living in the ‘good old days’ right now.

ask yourself, what would 90 year old you be grateful for today?

pay attention to those things, and appreciate them while you still have them.

be here, now.

some things i learned

  1. 2010 is as far away as 2040
    sorry

  2. Beethoven was deaf when he composed a lot of his music
    by his 40s, his hearing was so bad that he would compose music through vibration, not sound. he would bite on a wooden stick that was attached to his piano, and somehow use those vibrations alone to create beautiful music.

  3. 60% of Coachella general admission ticket buyers used ‘buy now, pay later.’
    i get that there’s a fine balance between ‘living for now’ and ‘saving for the future,’ but this stat is nuts to me. PRO TIP: if paying for something is hard right now, it’s probably not gonna be easier when you have to pay more for it later. you do you, though.

cool things i found

  1. an old painter who’s works are (apparently) spammed in interior design
    idk much about art, but i do know that Henri Matisse makes paintings that i like to look at. you might too.

  2. vocalremover.org
    i’ve used this a couple times to separate vocals from instrumentals in songs with like, 2 clicks.

  3. i bought clothes for the first time in 11 months
    i found these pants and this linen shirt at Uniqlo, whose products have slowly been taking over my wardrobe. you just can’t go wrong with a lot of their plain essentials.

that’s all for this week!

i know that whole ‘imagine you’re 90’ thing sounds kinda dumb, but please give it a try - it’s already made my day better.

btw, my next video is written. that means there’s only about 50-100 hours of work left until it’s done and uploaded, lol. i love this game!

all the best (:

~ liam

i think ur 90 year old self would subscribe