Noel Gallager said, “I don’t live to work; I work to live.” I first heard this expression when I was living in Spain, and a Spanish friend told me that, “you Americans live to work, while we Spaniards work to live.” As I look back, I should have listened closer to my friend’s wise words because they are the keys to living a rewarding life. Living without regret is about the power of shared experiences, not by creating a materialistic life.
As Kai-Fu Lee expressed, “The hardest thing about facing death isn’t the experiences you won’t get to have. It’s the ones you can’t have back.”
You work to live, not live to work. Work on what brings you happiness. The tools from today’s episode ought to be helpful for anyone looking to understand how to create a rewarding life.
And in case you didn’t already know it, John R. Miles (@john_r_miles) takes your requests for topics on Momentum Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Momentum Friday episodes, drop us a line at [email protected]. Let’s dive in!
There is a saying that a job is a job. A job is a way to pay for a living, but that’s its extent. Don’t let your job define who you are and your happiness.
John R. Miles
In This Week’s Episode, John R. Miles Explores Why the Pursuit of Materialistic Things Hinder a Rewarding Life
- I discuss the story of Kai-Fu Lee and how his work-first attitude cost him many of the peak experiences in his life.
- How Kai-Fu Lee learned by facing death that his pursuit of recognition, marterialistic things, and rewards was not the path to happiness and fulfillment.
- I explore Australian author Bronnie Ware‘s experience as a hospice nurse and her patients top five regrets and the discovery they wished they had dared to live a life true to themselves.
- I use these stories to discuss why experiences are the keys to enjoying a rewarding life, not the pursuit of materialistic possessions.
- I discuss the reasons (through science) why it is better to spend our time and resources seeking amazing experiences that lead to a rewarding life:
- Experiences improve our relationships.
- Experiences make you happier.
- Experiences create less clutter (materialistic things) which promotes being happy.
- Experiences reduce the comaprison of oneself with others.
- Experiences create better memories that we take with us.
- I then dive into practical ways to apply this lesson to allow you to bring out your greatest self and create a rewarding life.
- Have any questions, comments, or stories you’d like to share with us? Drop us a line at [email protected]m!
- Connect with John R Miles on Twitter at @John_RMiles and Instagram at @John_R_Miles.
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Timestamps:
- 0:00 Keys to a Rewarding Life Introduction
- 2:57 Surfshark and Coda
- 5:37 The Story of Kai-Fu Lee
- 8:42 Valuing possessions over shared experiences
- 11:48 Coinbase and Magic Mind
- 14:03 How Bronnie Ware chronicled top deathbed remorse
- 15:11 Why we are far more than the sum of our possessions
- 16:23 Experiences improve our interpersonal relationships
- 17:09 The difference between hedonistic vs eudaimonistic happiness
- 18:19 Having less clutter promotes being happy
- 19:20 Experiences reduce the comparison of oneself with others
- 20:03 Experiences provide better memories
- 20:51 How to experience the most rewarding life possible
- 23:40 Conclusion and Synthesis
RESOURCES FROM THE SHOW ON CREATING A REWARDING LIFE THROUGH SHARED EXPERIENCES
Please note that some of the links on this page (books, movies, music, etc.) lead to affiliate programs for which The Passion Struck podcast receives compensation. It’s just one of the ways we keep the lights on around here. Thank you so much for being so supportive!
Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bronnie Ware
Best Self by Mike Bayer
My Journey into AI: The Story Behind the Man Who Helped Launch 5 A.I. Companies Worth $25 Billion by Kai-Fu Lee
AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future by Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan
The Happiness Track by Emma Seppala
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
The Art of Making Memories, by Meik Wiking
Are you having trouble prioritizing yourself? John discusses where you invest your love; you invest your life in Episode 104
John explains how your environment influences who you become in episode 102.
Do you know the science of healthy habits? John explores this in-depth in Episode 108.
Suppose you missed our interview with Jen Bricker-Bauer on Everything is Possible. Don’t panic! You can catch up by downloading it here.
About John R. Miles
John R. Miles is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of Passion Struck. This full-service media company helps people live intentionally by creating best-in-class educational and entertainment content.
John is also a prolific public speaker, author, and named to the ComputerWorld Premier 100 IT Leaders. John is the host of the PassionStruckPodcast, a show focused on exploring the mindset and philosophy of the world’s highest achievers to learn thJohn’sssons to living intentionally.
Passion Struck aspires to speak to the humanity of people in a way that makes them want to live better, be better and impact. Stay tuned for John’s latest project, his upcoming book, which will be published in summer 2022.
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