{"id":99708,"date":"2018-06-29T03:31:58","date_gmt":"2018-06-29T10:31:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=99708"},"modified":"2018-06-29T03:39:31","modified_gmt":"2018-06-29T10:39:31","slug":"my-definition-of-happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/06\/29\/my-definition-of-happiness\/","title":{"rendered":"My Definition of Happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’ve been asking a lot of people about how they would define happiness. I figured I’d also answer it for myself:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Jeroen
Portrait by Jeroen Helmink<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Download PDF: MY definition of happiness<\/a><\/p>\n

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My simple definition of happiness is currently this:<\/p>\n

\n Do everything you want in a single day without getting tired. Employ every day to the fullest! Don’t do what you don’t want to do.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Pretty simple.<\/p>\n

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1. Not getting tired<\/h2>\n
\"eric
Portrait by Junku Nishimura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I’ve discovered for myself, being tired is worse than feeling stressed, anxious, or bored. When I’m tired, I have no motivation to do anything — which to me, is the worst mental state.<\/p>\n

Therefore for myself, I’m constantly self-experimenting to discover how to have the maximum amount of energy in a day, with minimal exhaustion or tiredness.<\/p>\n

\"Cindy
Cindy and my graduation picture, UCLA 2010. Dreaming big!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As of now, I discovered my personal hacks:<\/p>\n

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  1. Don’t eat breakfast or lunch, fast<\/a> until dinner (intermittent fasting keeps me sharper during the day, and more energized). I do get hungry, but I’m actually more energized, sharp, keen, and aware when I’m hungry! And when it’s dinner time, I go HAM (hard as a mother….f) and eat unlimited eggs, leafy greens, and fatty meats (strict ketogenic<\/a> diet). Then I take a shower, read a little, chat with Cindy and count our wins and blessings from the day, and then pass out (around 10pm). Then wake up the next day around 6-9am.<\/li>\n
  2. Lots of black coffee, black and green tea, and 100% cacao powder during the day. Keeps me energized, and pumped up.<\/li>\n
  3. Hard knocks: Energizing hip hop music, like JAY Z<\/a>, KANYE<\/a>, PUSHA T, KENDRICK LAMAR. Their music gets me in the zone, like Silicon Valley investor Ben Horowitz (apparently friends with Kanye).<\/li>\n
  4. Working out<\/a> in morning: A nice walk in the park, and chin ups and dips\/planches in the park gym. Nice chats with the guys working out there, and enjoying the view of the trees. I find trees to energize me– I appreciate how long they’ve been around, and I theorize that green and verdant colors are naturally stimulating and beautiful to humans (we thrive off lush, green, biological areas). <\/li>\n
  5. Going for a walk when I’m tired or burn out: Allows my mind to recharge. I’ll either walk with my camera, or without anything. No music, no phone.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    2. Employ everyday to the fullest<\/h2>\n
    \"Me
    Me and Contax III, my grandfather’s camera. 2009<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    This is connected to the first point: how can I make the fullest of everyday, assuming if I’ll die tonight in my sleep? Because one day I will.<\/p>\n

    \"\"
    Selfie, 2009.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    To me this is a good mental exercise, because it forces me to NOT waste my time, energy, and human metabolism<\/a> on stuff I don’t find personally meaningful to myself. This means I best leverage my “Archimedes lever<\/a>” (my strengths in life) to make a meaningful impact in the world — a combination of blogging, art, video production, writing, philosophy<\/a>, art<\/a>, photography<\/a>, and entrepreneurship<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \"Black<\/p>\n

    The best way to employ everyday to the fullest:<\/p>\n

    \n If I knew I’d die tonight in my sleep, what would I make, write, or create today?\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    And more importantly:<\/p>\n

    What would I not<\/em> get distracted with today?<\/p>\n

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    3. Don’t do what you don’t want to do<\/h2>\n

    \"White<\/p>\n

    Lastly I think true happiness is not<\/em> doing what you don’t want to do. This is a “via negativa” way of obtaining happiness, via Nassim Taleb<\/a> (Antifragile book).<\/p>\n

    \"eric<\/p>\n

    Besides feeding yourself, drinking water, not freezing to death, and paying your taxes — nothing else is really “necessary”.<\/p>\n

    \"Woman
    Woman with face mask in Tokyo subway. 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    So friend ask yourself,<\/p>\n

    \n What do I do on a daily basis which I consider a “necessity”– but actually it is an obligation forced onto me by someone else?\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    My definition of happiness thus includes,<\/p>\n

    \n Not doing anything which is superimposed onto you by someone else.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    \"Man<\/p>\n

    That’s why I hustled so hard to become a self-employed entrepreneur<\/a>— I love working hard, but I hate doing stuff superimposed on me by others, which I consider a waste of time. This is why I can never have a boss.<\/p>\n

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    Daily happiness<\/h2>\n

    \"Eric<\/p>\n

    In your quest for happiness, my suggestion is this:<\/p>\n

    \n On a daily basis, do more of what you want to do and create, and do less of what you don’t want to do.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    BE STRONG,
    \nERIC<\/p>\n

    Zen of ERIC<\/h2>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    New book, ZEN OF ERIC dropping soon. Subscribe to ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER<\/a> to be notified when it’s live!<\/p>\n

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    Upcoming chapters:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \n

    PHILOSOPHY ><\/a><\/h1>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Find more meaning and purpose in your life:<\/p>\n