The Good Life - My Reading During Our Recent Ski Trip

"The good life is joyful ... and challenging. Full of love, but also pain. And it never strictly happens; instead, the good life unfolds, through time. It is a process. It includes turmoil, calm, lightness, burdens, struggles, achievements, setbacks, leaps forward, and terrible falls.

"The path to the good life, after all, isn't easy, but successfully navigating its twists and turns is entirely possible."

"Life, even when its good, is not easy. Why? Because a rich life - a good life - is forged from precisely the things that make it hard - The Good Life

Dr. Waldinger (also a Zen Master) and Dr. Schulz summarized the lessons from the world's longest scientific study of happiness. The Harvard study of adult development has followed the lives of two generations of individuals from the same families with its original 724 participants in 1938 for more than eighty years and is expanding to include 3 generations of over 1300 participants now. Quite some insights were revealed from the responses to some of the carefully crafted questions in the surveys.

This book is filled with lines that deeply resonate with me, and I will delve into them further in future posts. Today, I want to draw a connection to our recent ski trip. Navigating the twists and turns on the icy slopes was challenging, but definitely achievable. The amount of snowfall is beyond our control, much like the unpredictable nature of life. It's often less about what happens and more about how we respond, which is within our control. Snow conditions in Colorado have been poor this year, but most slopes are adequately covered. The high temperatures have made snowmaking difficult, causing the limited snow to melt during the day and refreeze into icy patches at night.

Our ski trip is both joyful and challenging, starting with the effort of bending down to fasten those heavy ski boots, buckle by buckle. The trip is full of fun, yet accompanied by the discomfort of blisters and sore muscles. The adventure includes the thrill of gliding down easy runs, the excitement of traveling to the unexplored trails, the uncertainties that accompany skiing on unfamiliar terrain, and the familiar aches and pains coming from old injuries and the soreness in our shines. Yet, the drive to tackle more challenging trails makes the trip even more rewarding.

I was particularly delighted to hear my daughter would like to challenge herself again on a difficult trail, especially considering the less-than-ideal snow conditions on the last day. This moment was a testament to her growing confidence and willingness to embrace challenges head-on. She successfully skied down by herself. Reflecting on my own journey, there was a time when I doubted I would ever ski again or thought I would stick to the easy and short trails on the East Coast. Now, on my third trip to Colorado, I found myself confidently skiing down the blue trails without a hitch. Those slopes that once seemed intimidating and formidable have become navigable, transforming from sources of anxiety into paths of exhilaration.

As Brene Brown eloquently states, "you can choose courage or you can choose comfort, but you can't choose both." With this kind of courage and a willingness to step out of the comfort zones, perhaps no challenges will remain insurmountable in life. Each turn on the slopes serves as a metaphor for the twists and turns we encounter in our personal journeys, reminding us that growth often comes from embracing discomfort and facing our fears. I'm absolutely thrilled by this amazing journey in life, where I get to dream and imagine things I never thought possible before.

Eight hours of a round trip flight is not too long or too short, perfect for reading through a book like "the good life". I hope you will enjoy the read as well.