Absolutely spot on! I’ve felt that same tug — the sense that comfort alone can start to feel like confinement. When I left work to travel full-time, I thought simplicity would be the reward, but what I really craved was the richness you describe: complexity, challenge, and the kind of friction that keeps life vivid. It’s comforting to know there’s language for that feeling.
Thank you Kelly. I am so fortunate to have the choice. I can lead a simple, comfortable life, and I can also choose to add the complexity and challenge back in.
Oishi’s work was like flipping on the light switch for me. He articulates (and supports his words with scientific study) what I knew to be true but struggled to say out loud (without feeling guilty about my privilege).
Now I can just accept — there are different types of people in the world. While the majority will choose some mix of happiness and meaning, I require more psychological richness. Simple ;-)
Justin — I love how you put that. “Psychological richness” feels like such an honest compass for people who thrive on depth, movement, and change. It’s not restlessness — it’s curiosity with roots.
Oishi’s framework resonated with me too. It gives language to the kind of life that doesn’t fit neatly into boxes of “happy” or “successful,” but still feels utterly full. Here’s to embracing that beautiful complexity without apology.
Absolutely spot on! I’ve felt that same tug — the sense that comfort alone can start to feel like confinement. When I left work to travel full-time, I thought simplicity would be the reward, but what I really craved was the richness you describe: complexity, challenge, and the kind of friction that keeps life vivid. It’s comforting to know there’s language for that feeling.
💛 Kelly
Thank you Kelly. I am so fortunate to have the choice. I can lead a simple, comfortable life, and I can also choose to add the complexity and challenge back in.
Oishi’s work was like flipping on the light switch for me. He articulates (and supports his words with scientific study) what I knew to be true but struggled to say out loud (without feeling guilty about my privilege).
Now I can just accept — there are different types of people in the world. While the majority will choose some mix of happiness and meaning, I require more psychological richness. Simple ;-)
Justin — I love how you put that. “Psychological richness” feels like such an honest compass for people who thrive on depth, movement, and change. It’s not restlessness — it’s curiosity with roots.
Oishi’s framework resonated with me too. It gives language to the kind of life that doesn’t fit neatly into boxes of “happy” or “successful,” but still feels utterly full. Here’s to embracing that beautiful complexity without apology.
💛 Kelly
Thanks — JL