I knew that you couldn't make a living simply writing about the outdoors, so I made an effort from the beginning of my freelance career to write about other subjects.
Jon KrakauerRead
Having stumbled upon a tolerable career, for the first time in my life I was actually living above the poverty line. My hunger to climb had been blunted, in short, by a bunch of small satisfactions that added up to something like happiness.
Interpretation
Finding contentment in a stable career can lead to a sense of happiness, even if it is not associated with great ambition.
The quote reflects on the author's realization that achieving a steady career has brought him a sense of stability and happiness. Rather than the constant pursuit of success and ambition, he discovers that small, fulfilling experiences can bring a meaningful satisfaction to life, illustrating that happiness can arise from simplicity and contentment rather than relentless striving for more.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a motivational speech about the importance of finding satisfaction in life.
I knew that you couldn't make a living simply writing about the outdoors, so I made an effort from the beginning of my freelance career to write about other subjects.
Getting to the top of any given mountain was considered much less important than how one got there: prestige was earned by tackling the most unforgiving routes with minimal equipment, in the boldest style imaginable.
He read a lot. He used a lot of big words. I think maybe part of what got him into trouble was that he did too much thinking. Sometimes he tried too hard to make sense of the world, to figure out why people were bad to each other so often. A couple of times I tried to tell him it was a mistake to get too deep into that kind of stuff, but Alex got stuck on things. He always had to know the absolute right answer before he could go on to the next thing.
The way Everest is guided is very different from the way other mountains are guided, and it flies in the face of values I hold dear: self-reliance, taking responsibility for what you do, making your own decisions, trusting your judgment - the kind of judgment that comes only through paying your dues, through experience.
Mountains make poor receptacles for dreams.
Almost every magazine piece I've ever written, I felt like I haven't done it justice, like it was just a gloss.
The discovery of a new dish confers more happiness on humanity, than the discovery of a new star.
Happiness is an allegory, unhappiness a story.
Find your happiness in yourself.
Virtue and Happiness are Mother and Daughter.
Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open.
Feeling very happy - why? An explanation is needed. No, happiness needs no explanation, happiness is its own explanation. God is creating because that is the only way he can be happy, that is the only way he loves, that is the only way he sings, that's the only way he can be at all. Creation is his innermost nature, no why is needed.
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