Reality

by TED WILD

“3 Minutes To Live 1% Happier”

Reality: Dad’s Secret Room

2023.10.28 | #34

Happy Reality Day! Here is your weekly dose of reality to help you live 1% happier↓


1 Insight From Me

Six Feet Under

Six Feet Under is one of my favorite TV shows. It’s about death, love, and forgiveness.

The Fisher family does funerals. This business was originally managed by their father, but he died in the first episode, and the business has been handled by his two sons since.

The relationship between the father and the two sons is actually not good.

One of the most impressive scenes in the entire TV series was when the eldest son Nate, who had always wanted his father to be proud of him, accidentally discovered that his father actually had a secret little room outside.

In Nate’s eyes, his father was a very old-fashioned person, like a pastor.

But in this room, he discovered another side of his father that no one in the family knew existed.

There is a box of rock records, a cup with woman’s lip print on it, and playing cards spread out on the table. His dad danced to rock music here, played cards, called prostitutes, ate pizza with a bunch of homeless people, smoked marijuana, and when he got really high, he just shot randomly from the window into the street with a rifle.

This clip is still on my hard drive and I watch it every now and then.

No one has only one side, because people have many traits when they are created, both good and bad. Don’t suppress a certain side of yourself because of family, society, or any external standards thinking that this side is ugly and shameful. Any act that suppresses human nature is doomed to fail.

We are all born with flaws and desires. Embrace all those flaws and accept everything about yourself.

Nature is the Tao. Embracing full humanity is the Tao.


1 Insight From Others

The older I get, the more that I see

My parents aren’t heroes, they’re just like me

And loving is hard, it don’t always work

― Sasha Sloan, Older


1 Small Step To Take

“Fall in love with your flaws”

Write down your shortcomings. Appearance, personality, skills, and regrets all count.

Then say to each item: I accept XXX (shortcomings), and at the same time imagine you holding it in your arms.

Until you cry.

PS: What does “mentally strong” mean?


Do you find this issue of Reality helpful? Leave a reply to this email, I check every reply in my inbox.

Until next week,

Ted Wild


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