Eat, drink, love. Isn't that what makes a life?

As an introvert and a minimalist I have a mistrust of the prevalent consumer culture being shoved down my throat. I also harbour a deep desire to eliminate the extraneous and fill my world with only that which gives me joy. My joy comes from learning new things, travelling, solving problems and spreading kindness.

If you live in my world,  I will be fiercely loyal to you, bake you irrationally difficult cakes, expect you to be proactively making the planet a better place and have a passport.
I will also expect you to be kind.
Simply extend to your fellow human your understanding of their plight and the overarching sameness of us all and you will forever have a place in my heart. Fight for the most vulnerable. Use your power for good. Repeat.

After that I dont know what makes a life because for each of us it is different. I know I learnt the hard way that your presence in the moment might be your greatest gift to give in this life. Be here now.

Eat, drink, love...

Quite frankly fuck buying the latest car, house, clothes, toy, whatever, in the hope that you will feel more alive.
Be alive. Burn brightly. You will inevitably reach a point in your life where you feel your own mortality and no amount of stuff you have purchased can save you.  Memento Mori. So keep it simple.

I got hit by a motorcycle and walked away unscathed. The 3 seconds before it broke my bicycle were filled with many thoughts, some of them etched deeply in my amygdala like hurt and die. I have an acute awareness of those moments in which your life takes an entirely different direction- "Sliding Doors" moments. I look back on them once a while and feel an immense gratitude.
So what is important to you? - the kind of important that you give it all of your time (or you would if you weren't scrolling through Facebook and dicking around on Instagram- and same monster just so you know).  Do that thing. Do it a lot. Do it with passion and commitment. Find other people that dig what you do. Share it.

Don't listen to me but I think love fiercely all of the people in your life that are worthy of your love. Let go of whatever no longer serves you. Drink red wine because it might be good for you and it feels good,  ditto eating your vegetables and turn off the fucking internet once in a while because... just because.