The Secret to a Meaningful Life

Leading up to the pandemic in 2020, things were generally okay in this country – for most people. The economy was hot, unemployment was low, and the stock market was on fire. We were all feeling “ten feet tall & bulletproof”. Then the pandemic hit and everything changed in an instant.

In hindsight, so many of the things we did during the pandemic seem silly now. Like covering every other urinal in the Men’s restroom. Just plain silly.

But, the pandemic created an opportunity to pause. To take a fresh look at how we use, invest and, of course, waste our time.

Overnight, business travel ceased to exist and meetings transitioned to Zoom. School transitioned to remote learning and all after-school activities stopped. Houses of worship were closed. It was a tough transition. Everything stopped and we all felt dizzy and lost.

Just Breathe…

Then a funny thing happened. People started to breathe. Working remotely created space. Space for family. Space for playing with the dog. Space for long walks. Space for doing nothing. And, the old hustle & bustle of life seemed so antithetical to the good life we all envisioned for ourselves. So devoid of meaning. So pointless.

When the music stopped we suddenly realized what we’d been missing.

See, for many years the most important thing was to be rich. It’s the American Dream. Not for the money, but for the perceived autonomy and flexibility that being rich brings. The same autonomy and flexibility that we discovered during the pandemic.

For Sale

As a result of all this autonomy and flexibility, people bought new homes in new places faster than Elon Musk can launch a rocket into space. Bigger homes with bigger yards and more recreation space. Our homes became much more than a place to put our stuff and grow some grass. Our homes became a haven for that autonomy and flexibility we craved.

But, that innate desire for autonomy and flexibility can be a curse if left unchecked. It’s the reason why:

• Almost 25 million American adults have been taking antidepressants for at least two years, a 60% increase since 2010.

• More than 31 million Americans have Type II diabetes (about 1 in 10). 

• Heart Disease is the leading killer of Americans.

Only 400,000 Hours Left to Live

Diabetes and heart disease can kill you early, but if they don’t you’ll likely live to be 78 years old. That’s the equivalent of 683,748 hours of life. After sleeping, you only have a little over 400,000 hours left to live.

So, let’s do some math.

If you make $75,000 per year, that new house isn’t $750,000, it’s 40,000 hours of hard work- after you factor in the interest on the mortgage. That new truck isn’t $65,000, it’s 3,600 hours of labor after interest. But, with that kind of time commitment how much time do you have left to enjoy the new home and truck? Not much.

Fourth Grade (Again)

And, according to the BBC, the pandemic mercifully put an end to office pizza parties, ice cream socials and field trips. Those things were universally loved back in the fourth grade. But, the pandemic lockdowns put an end to grown-ass adults celebrating Sally’s 49th birthday with cake and ice cream.

And, according to the Wall Street Journal, “even the go-getters” are saying no to office happy hours.” With all those new homes and pandemic puppies that are now 80 pound dogs, people want to go home. They simply learned to value their personal lives more than they did before the pandemic.

The flexibility and autonomy afforded by the Pandemic era created a greater appreciation for life. A greater appreciation for freedom, for family, for friendship and for a higher quality of life. Suddenly people had the autonomy and flexibility they craved. Things once reserved for Robin Leach and the “champagne wishes and caviar dreams” crowd. As if we, all at once, tasted freedom. And, the people cheered.

We started to figure out that life is way too short to trade time for things we don’t need that impress people we don’t even like.

This isn’t a new concept. In 1849, Henry David Thoreau warned us not to spend “the best part of one’s life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of it.”

And, we all remember Steve Jobs. In his deathbed manifesto he made it crystal clear. “At this moment, lying on the bed, sick and remembering all my life I realize that all my recognition and wealth that I have is meaningless in the face of imminent death,” it goes on to say. “You can hire someone to drive a car for you, make money for you — but you cannot rent someone to carry the disease for you. One can find material things, but there is one thing that cannot be found when it is lost — life.

Yes, for all that we got wrong during the pandemic, it seems we got one thing right. We learned that the secret of a meaningful life isn’t being rich. It isn’t risking your life and health in search of flexibility and autonomy. The secret to a meaningful life is embracing the flexibility and autonomy we already have. It’s meaningful relationships. It’s family and children and friendships and memories.

And that, my friends is where the story ends

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