I decided that I must live my life on my terms

We are nothing but a future memory in people's mind. So, even if we can make a difference in one person's life, that should be it. Well it would be nice to be on the good side of memory. To make memories we have to do something. Doing what we love and making an impact is a win-win. All the best.

To become one with God, through his commandments, mostly by loving, clothing, and feeding my neighbor. However, my performance is woefully inadequate. Luckily, my God is a loving God, and has me on a PIP, so hopefully we see some good progress with the time I have left.

Well, I think there are sweet spots for every bracket of wealth. For most of us, having a job and a home that we can reasonably keep until our dying days without living on our knees is the sweet spot.

Once you cross into fame and multi million or multi billion (Kanye, Elon), that sweet spot is nothing to them. Their sweet spot is influence, impact, and the like. In their bracket I think few reached a sweet spot without tarnishing their desired presentation. Someone like Bezos is looked at as a villain, so he didn’t get it. Bill Gates is one or two allegations away from affairs and Epstein stuff being leaked. Warren Buffet is somewhat at the sweet spot but he is a much older man who doesn’t need the validation that Elon needs. In other words, their sweet spots are about as hard to hit as our sweet spots (financial well being).

I find it very curious that the phrase "None of this matters!" can be simultaneously depressing and liberating, depending on who is reading.

Understanding can't just be transmitted through words, and requires introspection. Congratulations on your epiphany!

I optimize life for happiness. I try shape my life to enjoy the process like you said: good work-life balance, doing something that challenges me just enough on average, that I enjoy, with people I enjoy.

I try to bring that to my teammates and actively contribute to a culture of zest for our profession at my job. Why? You're happier when surrounded by happy people. If you're surrounded by people doing the same, it's less likely for culture to change in a negative way.

I mentor teammates and grad students. Helping others grow makes me happy, and especially during the pandemic it's been a good way to stay connected to others.

There will always be rough moments, but there's no happiness without pain. It requires constant maintenance: keep yourself healthy, your mind stimulated, your body exercised, your social skills challenged. Make time to also stop and enjoy doing nothing.

The hardest part of this type of journey is realizing you don’t need money to be happy or feel contentment.

It may not make sense right now, but you may spend the next decade or so chasing money to get to a point of contentment only to realize that you’re chasing after money because you think it’s going to give you peace. The turn is when you figure out money doesn’t give you peace.

Contentment, happiness are choices. They aren’t milestones that can be achieved, or goals to be met. They are choices just like choosing what color shirt to wear in the morning.

Source: myself who has been terribly poor, and eventually wealthy. I’d rather have back the lost decades of career and status chasing than any of the money I gained.