Timewarp: The three important things

This week I'm taking a look at an old Buddhism blog I used to write sporadically, my last post being exactly two years ago on Sunday. I'm reposting any posts I find I still agree with right here, and any I think weren't quite the right way of thinking, I'll pull apart a little. Here's the first one, from 11th May 2012!

Three Things

I’ve decided that there are only three things that are important in life:

1. Do what makes you happy. (Whether it’s big or small – from travelling the world, to having children, to eating pizza.)

2. Don’t do things that stop other people from being happy.

3. Try to stay alive in between.

And that’s pretty much it. Does it have to be any more complex than that? I think sometimes we just over-complicate things. Instead of analyzing things to death, maybe we should take a step back and say “would doing x make me happy?” and if it would, then do it, and if it probably wouldn’t, then don’t bother.

Maybe that’s a bit too black and white. But there isn’t enough time in the day to worry about things that don’t matter so much in the grand scheme of things. There’s not enough hours in the week for doing things you don’t enjoy doing. I know sometimes it can’t be helped, but I mean when it can be. I’m probably just rattling on now.


I never used to think like this. I’ve changed, for sure. I don’t know if this is all strictly related to Buddhism really, but it’s just how I think now. Do enjoyable things, don’t make other people unhappy, and try not to die. Pretty straightforward.