According to Epicureanism, some of the most important things for a happy life are friendship, reflection, and freedom. Improving these three categories can take a bit of effort. But investing in these things can provide a lot of value in life.
Investment 1: Making friends
There is no way to get around it, making new friends as an adult can take a bit of effort. You need to put yourself into a situation where you can meet others. You then need to try to take your friendship to the next level with the risk of rejection. Building friendships takes time, so you need to now spend time with your friends for them to become close friends. Making this effort can be so worth it though. Because good friends can be with you for life and bring a lot of value and joy. Good friends make the bad times easier to bear and the good time a lot more fun!
Investment 2: Self-work
We all have things we struggle with: worries, anxieties, grievances, and uncertainty. Taking the time to get to know yourself can be a great investment. Becoming aware of these toxic thought patterns can help melt some of its power away. We also need to reflect on ourselves to get clear on our values. Journaling is a great tool to help gain an understanding of your inner world. Also, sharing our difficulties with others makes us feel less alone. So taking the time to invest in self-work can be one of the best investments one can make. It gives so much freedom to live life in a more intentional way.
Investment 3: Freedom
Many people will value creating a family, or contributing with something meaningful, or just having fun and exploring the world. Whatever it may be for you, we need some freedom to be able to spend our time on those things. There are different ways to increase freedom in life. One way could be to embrace a more simplistic lifestyle. Another way could be to find ways to reduce your work hours. Humans are a complex species. So having the freedom to spend our time in a more balanced way is important for a happy life. It allows us to spend our time on the things that truly matter.
Conclusion
Using the philosophy of Epicureanism, these three investments might be the most important ones to make. All three of them can take a bit of uncomfortable effort to gain traction on. However, making these efforts may be some of the most valuable investments you can ever make.
What do you think? Are these the most important investments to make in life?