Is Happiness $13/lb Ground Beef at Whole Foods?

Last year, I sat down with my wife and talked about what our “Joyful Life” would mean - could we purposefully define it, and live it?

This exercise encompassed so much more than just an amount of income - it’s more about being deliberate about what we spend our time, money, and focus on.

It’s been really clarifying and has allowed me to be something that many people I know aren’t - happy.

I try not to do anything that doesn’t push us towards our joyful life.

I could make way more money than I do now, but unless it leads us more towards our joyful life, I don’t say yes.

Author’s Note: The fact that I can chase existential fullfilment instead of providing for my family, means I am in the luckiest 1% of 1% of people in the world. I recognize this and am grateful every day. 

Who wants to do something they don’t want to do, just to live in a bigger box?

The list is intensely personal, and ours includes small things like “Shopping at Whole Foods and not worrying about $13.00/lb ground beef” to bigger things like “Never having to set an alarm clock, or wear a tie”.

One of the biggest things we agreed on is to spend extensive periods living abroad together.

So in that spirit, my family and I are spending June in Europe.

I don’t plan on doing a ton of work - I want to focus on some deeper thinking and projects.

I’ll do a few phone calls, write some emails, but generally speaking, I’m going to try and be a little more unavailable.

Why not fully unplug?

Well, I love what I get to do every day.

Telling me to go without a month doing what I love wouldn’t be very joyful at all!

We plan to do this every year.

One of the things that allows me to do this is the systems, people, and methods that I write about in this newsletter every week.

An owner I bought a business from once told me (proudly) that he answered customer emails while getting chemo in the hospital.

I’m not going to judge his choices - but thats not the type of business life I want to pursue!

I don’t feel important when the business needs me in order to survive, I feel silly.

That doesn’t mean I don’t work my ass off, have serious ambitions, or have reserves of energy required to get the job done.

It just means I want to blend all that stuff, with a life well lived (at least, as I define it).

How do you define your joyful life?

Yours in Outsourcing,

Jon

Passage of the Week:

“There are so many hammocks to catch you if you fall, so many laws to keep you from experience.

All these cities I have been in the last few weeks make me fully understand the cozy, stifling state in which most people pass through life.

I don't want to pass through life like a smooth plane ride.

All you do is get to breathe and copulate and finally die.

I don't want to go with the smooth skin and the calm brow.

I hope I end up a blithering idiot cursing the sun - hallucinating, screaming, giving obscene and inane lectures on street corners and public parks.

People will walk by and say, "Look at that drooling idiot. What a basket case."

I will turn and say to them

"It is you who are the basket case.

For every moment you hated your job, cursed your wife and sold yourself to a dream that you didn't even conceive.

For the times your soul screamed yes and you said no.

For all of that.

For your self-torture, I see the glowing eyes of the sun!

The air talks to me!

I am at all times!"

And maybe, the passers by will drop a coin into my cup.”