Member-only story
If You’re Miserable, This is Why
And here’s how we fix it
Every now and then, I catch a glimpse of what my life could’ve been like if I hadn’t started making changes. This happens whenever I accommodate someone’s childish behavior, indulge the whims of my bosses, or spend all afternoon in my overheated sardine tin of an office — instead of doing something I find meaningful.
The biggest reminder comes anytime I eat one of the tortilla-wrapped puddles of fat my campus cafeteria generously calls a burrito. I can literally feel my blood pressure go up with every bite.
All of these mistakes have one thing in common: I’m giving control of my time, mind, or body to someone else.
Whenever you do this, you lose.
Those are the days I feel truly miserable and unproductive. Fortunately, they’re few and far between now.
The bad news is that if you live in the U.S., you’re constantly pressured to conform to a lifestyle that makes you poor and unhappy, while slowly killing you. The good news is that we’re starting to realize the stakes, and how to change the game. So much of life hinges not just on making good decisions and healthy micro-shifts, but also eliminating poor choices — and removing yourself from toxic environments.
