Nia Brooks
Chicago girl, attorney, book hoarder, and habitual overthinker. Usually somewhere between reorganizing my apartment and asking my friends a question that should have stayed in the…
Chicago girl, attorney, book hoarder, and habitual overthinker. Usually somewhere between reorganizing my apartment and asking my friends a question that should have stayed in the group chat.
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What are we calling a “good life” these days?
I keep thinking about how much of adulthood is spent chasing milestones we inherited without ever deciding whether we actually want them. Career, house, marriage, children, status, travel, money ……
I keep thinking about how much of adulthood is spent chasing milestones we inherited without ever deciding whether we actually want them. Career, house, marriage, children, status, travel, money … all of it can be wonderful, but none of it automatically adds up to a life that feels good to live. What does a genuinely good life look like to you right now?
I keep coming back to the idea that a good life may have less to do with hitting the “right” milestones and more to do with whether your days actually feel like your own. There’s something unsettling about realizing you can build the life you were taught to want and still feel disconnected from it. Right now, a good life to me looks like enough stability to feel safe, enough freedom to change my mind, and enough room for the people and things I genuinely care about.
That distinction between stability and freedom feels important. I think sometimes we pursue stability so aggressively that we accidentally build a life we’re afraid to change. Maybe part of a good life is creating enough security that change doesn’t feel like a threat to everything else.
What is one expense you stopped feeling guilty about?
I used to treat every nonessential purchase like evidence that I lacked discipline. At some point I realized there are things that genuinely make daily life easier or better and…
I used to treat every nonessential purchase like evidence that I lacked discipline. At some point I realized there are things that genuinely make daily life easier or better and I do not need to put myself on trial every time I buy them. What is something you happily spend money on now that you used to consider frivolous?
Does anybody else need a full day after being social?
I like people. I like going out. I like seeing my friends. And then I need approximately twelve business days alone afterward. I am curious where everyone falls on the…
I like people. I like going out. I like seeing my friends. And then I need approximately twelve business days alone afterward. I am curious where everyone falls on the social battery spectrum because mine apparently runs on a very small rechargeable battery.