When Did Living Life Stop Being Enough?

Sep 15

Why has the Western world taken our personalities, boxed them up, and put them on sale? Does everything have to be a money grab? Does every hobby need to turn into a side hustle, or can we just enjoy something for the sake of joy?

At what point did money become the only language we speak? Do we share knowledge because it matters, or only if it comes with a price tag? Do we build community to grow together, or just to slap a dollar sign on connection?

And what about our jobs? Whether it is corporate America or entrepreneurship, since when did a title become the blueprint of who we are? You can do great work and still not let that work define you. Somewhere along the way, people started believing that good work equals higher value, but I see it differently. The CEO is no more valuable than the cashier ringing up my groceries. If your “impact” profits off others in the name of community, how much is it really worth?

Maybe the point is this: life should be worth celebrating without shouting for celebration. Joy should come from the little things, the quirks, the hobbies we love just because. Not because they build a brand. Not because they make us look more important.

Golf is just golf. Tennis is just tennis. A weekend in Martha’s Vineyard is just a vacation. The people who live without turning these things into a personality are the ones who are actually living.