What do you need?

Every time I eat Taiwanese food, it’s a deeply nostaslgic experience that transports me back to my childhood where I spent summers in Taipei.

I’m vividly reminded, albeit briefly, of what it was like being a kid:

I wasn’t nearly as concsious about what people thought about me.

It was the little things that made my day: the blast of AC hitting my forehead as I entered into a department store to escape the blistering July heat, a stroll through the nightmarket, a tasty tea egg from 7–11 down the street.

As we get older, I feel like we become good at telling ourselves stories about how we need more to be happy: a better job, a person’s approval, a trendy piece of clothing or gadget.

If 10-year-old me could be the happiest kid in the world without all these things, just how certain can I be that the adult version of me needs them?

I’m not saying we abandon our goals, but it is important to recognize the difference between pursing something because you’re passionate about it and pursuing something because you believe happiness is only accessible on the other side of it…which clearly isn’t true.