The Art of Living: How to Live an Ordinary Life Extraordinarily Well

In a world obsessed with external achievement, the greatest rebellion might be embracing your inherent worth.

Photo by Charles Black and courtesy of Chuck Black Photography

We spend much of our lives trying to prove we’re enough.

We chase accomplishments, status, wealth, and validation — believing that if we just do more or have more, we’ll finally feel worthy. But as the list of accomplishments grows, the peace we’re after remains out of reach.

That’s because the real question isn’t,
“Am I doing enough?”
The real question is,
“Do I believe I am enough?”

The False Choice

Society tells us we have two options: be extraordinary or be a nobody. Given that only 1 in 100 can be in the top 1%, that dooms the other 99 of us to “ordinary” lives — and by that logic, mediocrity. That’s a terrible bargain: a few somebodies in a world full of nobodies.

But there’s a third path:
To find meaning by living an ordinary life extraordinarily well.

I vividly recall the moment it hit me.
While rocking my infant daughter to sleep, I felt the comforting weight and warmth of…