"If we get kidnapped or murdered, I want them to use a good photo of us in the news," I told my wife once when we were taking a picture together after October 7th.
She wasn't too fond of the humor — and you can probably tell from the not-quite-good-enough photo we ended up with, unfortunately.
-
Israel is considered one of the happiest countries in the world, even though young Israelis are exposed to death and loss far more than their peers in other developed nations.
You might think that's a contradiction — but the truth is that humor (sometimes dark) is a defense mechanism that has, over the years, become deeply embedded in our DNA.
-
The question that has stayed with me since I was 25 is:
If I die today, will I be satisfied with what gets written on my tombstone?
It took time, but today my answer is yes — and it's built on the fact that I try to experience life in every way possible. Ask me "what do you do for a living?" and you'll get a different answer every time. I like that.
Is the dream to do what we're good at and what genuinely interests us?
Is the dream to earn as much money as possible?
Is the dream to do as much good for others as we can?
The answer is that all of the above are correct.
The notion that we must lock ourselves into a single pursuit and a fixed set of specific values is a mistake.
Life offers us invitations — to love, to engage with things that interest us, to maintain a world of values, to help others, and to enjoy ourselves. There's no reason not to take a little of everything.
Have a great week 😀