three-ingredient life cocktail

If we have about 70-80 years here, if we’re lucky, then the most reasonable things we can do with our time is something along the lines of:

a) be a good person

b) do cool shit with rad people

c) improve upon the two above by self-education, reflection, taking risks, and doing interesting (and sometimes difficult) things that are good for us

Most of what we read in terms of philosophy and religion point us to achieving (a) by means of (c). There is not a point of absolute success. Success is self-determined. Though there might be some objective points of what failure is, that is mostly determined by the individual experiencing the failure. On a long enough timeline failures can look like a misfire in an engineering process.

The process of doing, failing, regrouping, doing again, etc; this is life.

This happens at the micro level (I gotta put a load of laundry in the washer!) and the effects can be observed at the macro level (our sheets and clothes are always clean). Trivial example, sure, but you get the message. Zooming out at the 60,000 foot level you realize the positive or not so positive effects of what you have been doing or neglecting. And you can make changes.

Don’t worry about legacy. You probably won’t be remembered by your great-grandchildren. Have a good time while you’re here. Don’t be a dick.