Tony Brasunas

The midday air is clear, sweet, and warm here in Alameda, California. It’s a gorgeous day for a walk to the beach. The first steps of my walk reminded me of that feeling of freedom I write about at the beginning of Chapter 26, on the bright morning after arriving in Xiahe: “My senses feast on the vibrant colors as if to satiate themselves after all the months and miles of concrete.”

Remember this part of double happiness: We’re nearly always more free than we think we are. We’re free to shape our experiences. If there’s something troubling you or frustrating you, you have the freedom to do something about it — to change the situation in a rational way or to do something totally unexpected to assert and experience your own joy and autonomy in the moment.

Enjoy this blessed day,
Tony