8 ways to live happily without a why

Everywhere you turn, it’s such a seductive story

David Majister
4 min readJan 23, 2023
Illustration by E. H. Shepherd (public domain)
  • You can be someone
  • You can make something of your life
  • You can do better

Who tells this story?

The hustle bros, Instagram pros, TV shows. Celebrity mags and life hackers.

You only have to look at a screen. And you’ll see it within seconds.

It’s everywhere. All around us. Like cultural oxygen.

Watch an ad for any sports car, open any newspaper, read any magazine, and you’ll see the same story.

It’s a seductive story. And if you jump in for the ride, it gives you a sense of purpose.

A drive. A forward momentum. A reason for making something of this life.

You can be someone special!

But, every story has a subtext.

The subtext of this hustle story? 5 words:

You are not good enough.

Your life only means something if it’s more than you are now.

More! Better! More!

More money, more love, more stuff, more friends, more beautiful.

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David Majister

10x top writer. World traveler (26 countries). Runner (1k+ miles). Meditator (9.5k minutes). Introvert. Wild swimmer. Story maker.