Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life

by Joshua Fields Millburn

Two Types of Positive Experiences There are two types of positive experiences in life: Positive experiences you enjoy. For some people this category includes activities like playing a sport, teaching a child how to ride a bike, snowboarding, going to a friend’s house to watch a football game, and the like. These are often the best and most effortless experiences in your life. They are easy to do because they are exciting, rewarding, fulfilling. Unfortunately, these types of experiences are rare compared to the second type of positive experiences. Positive experiences you dislike. For some people this category includes most of the activities that are good for them, like eating vegetables, exercising daily, manual labor, conversing with loved ones each night, taking on new challenges. Why People Don't Contribute The reason people don’t contribute as much as they should (or as much as they want) is because they often identify contributive experiences as positive experiences they dislike. And of course, humans have a natural tendency to avoid what they dislike. This must change if you are truly committed to experiencing lasting satisfaction and fulfillment. The Key to Living Meaningfully The second type of positive experiences—the positive experiences you dislike—are the key to living a meaningful life. That is, finding ways to transform the positive experiences you dislike into positive experiences you enjoy is the ticket to changing your life long-term. This one strategy is...