We think we need a lot to be happy. We think we need piles of money. And power. And fame. And to get that perfect house and to marry that perfect person. There are so many things we tell ourselves we have to have.
They are nice to have. But it’s not what we need. For centuries, the wisest minds have been saying some version of what Marcus wrote in Meditations, “Very little is needed to make a happy life.” A little less than two thousand years later, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote,
“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”
Seneca similarly suggested that each day, we should find a good quote or read a good story or have a good exchange with a friend. That’s it, he says. “That will fortify you against poverty, against death, indeed against other misfortunes, as well.” It’s inspiration. Guidance. Reassurance. Clarity.
Just a few things. A good quote to start the morning. A little song to start the work day. A good poem with lunch. A fine picture next, and a few reasonable words spoken over dinner with a good friend or loved one. Do that each day, and that will make a happy life.