Your Life is a Movie- Keep it Simple

A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.
Mark Twain

Sometimes life is complex. There’s war over conflicting issues. There’s a million things to do and not enough time to do it. The movies make things seem so simple. Sometimes it’s frustratingly simple, “You love her just say so and then we can cut an hour off this really long movie” you think to yourself. How can you get this simplicity in your life? Just take a step back and look at yourself objectively, as if you were watching your own life’s movie.

Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.
Mark Twain

Sometimes the simple things will jump out at you. You realize you should say “I’m sorry” first because in the end to have a happy ending someone needs to cave and you may as well be the good guy in your movie. You can stop pursuing money and realize how precious your family is now before the crisis happens (heart attach, lost job).

Don’t part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

I was reading Mark Twain’s biography and was saddened that despite all his success he directly brought on himself many of his problems. He loved his wife, his kids, the perfect house, he had great fame and was making plenty of money. So what does he do? He tries to pursue more money and almost loses it all. His lavish lifestyle (spending $30,000 a month on the upkeep of his house in the late 1800s) forced him to close his beloved  house and move to Europe where his family is seperated and isn’t comfortable. He has so much debt he’s forced to go bankrupt. To recover, he’s forced into touring which he dreads and leaves his beloved family for long stretches. If you were Mark Twain wouldn’t you have quit spending money just a little earlier and then your could have had everything.

You’re life’s a move- be the star.

Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.
Mark Twain

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