Hey friends,

First off, thank you for all the kind words about the documentary on my creative journey. If there’s one thing to take away from the film, it’s that no worthwhile endeavor moves linearly. Every experience you have - no matter how disparate it may seem - connects in a way that can only be understood through the lens of hindsight. So wherever you are in your journey, just know that sometime in the future, you’ll look back on the present as a dot that made a serendipitous connection with another.

As we head into Thanksgiving weekend here in the United States, I’m reminded of what it means to appreciate life and its contents. Like you, I have so much to be grateful for, but oftentimes, I gloss over them as them as the fog of responsibilities and to-do’s pile on top of my plate. Routine and acclimation are the greatest foes of gratitude, and I’m not impervious to their pull either.

So in an attempt to remind myself of all that I have, I created a story a few years ago that I’d like to share with you again today. I like to revisit it around this time, as it contains a thought experiment that instantly reboots my capacity for gratitude the moment I read it.

When you're ready, let's dive right in:

​How to Be Thankful for Your Life with One Simple Reset​

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An Illustrated Gift

One of the things I’m most thankful for is your readership. As a small token of gratitude, I wanted to send you some wallpapers you can download and use in the spirit of Thanksgiving.

To grab the wallpapers, simply visit this Dropbox link and download them all. I hope they convey at least a fraction of the warmth I feel knowing that I have your support. Thank you again - it means the world.

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A Thought I’ve Been Pondering

I’ve been working on a piece about the successes we tend to overlook that are far more important than the kinds we tend to worship (money, fame, status).

One of the successes I go over is on marrying the right person. Here’s an excerpt:

No decision will have more consequence in your life than whether you marry, and to whom you marry. There’s an enormous difference between living by yourself, and committing to living with a partner for the rest of your life. (And it’s not just your living situation either; it’s an intertwining of everything. As Kevin Kelly says, “You don’t marry a person, you marry a family.”) Nothing I say here can adequately describe how different those two scenarios are.

With that said, if you do decide to get married, then one of the greatest success stories of your life will result from it being the right person. If you marry well, then everything is better. You’ll have a person who loves and supports you through your triumphs and challenges, and you’ll learn how to do that for them as well. You’ll have a continuous reinforcement of your values, knowing that the person you’re with also shares them too.

Happiness is amplified through this shared understanding of what’s important, whereas sorrow is alleviated through your partner’s presence during the hardest of times.

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A Brief Parting Question

What’s one thing you do (whether it’s an activity, habit, etc.) that reliably makes you grateful for everything you have?

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As always, hit reply to share any thoughts, to respond to the parting question, or to simply say hello. I love hearing from you.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to share this email with anyone who might enjoy it. Have a great rest of your week!

-Lawrence Yeo

P.S. Thanks to David Leviston for adding your support on Patreon! It means so much. If you’d like to support More To That and get access to exclusive AMAs, offline posts, and other reflections, join as a patron today.

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