Sometimes, I feel that being alive is quite a wonderful thing ~
We’re always taught to work hard, to plan, to have goals, but when we look back, what truly stays in our memory, is often those unintentional, joyful moments.

Just like recently, a friend asked me: "Do you think spending money on an expensive hand-brewed coffee is worth it?"
I smiled and said: "If that cup of coffee can make me feel better today, then it’s worth it."

Because, some money, although it seems like it's being "wasted",
is actually saving a life.
I know, the price of a delicate little cake could buy twenty eggs, but when you’re feeling down, you can’t just sit there holding eggs and stare blankly, right? A portion of movie popcorn could buy several kilos of vegetables, but when you’re watching a movie, you can’t exactly be hugging vegetables to eat, right?

The value of emotions is also a kind of value.
If a few dollars can buy that one moment of laughter, that moment of relief, or that sense that the world isn’t so bad, then that is a worthy investment.

Many people say, life needs big goals and long-term plans.
I don’t deny these are important, but I think life is not an Excel spreadsheet— not every figure needs to be calculated precisely. Most of the time, what truly makes you feel that life isn’t so bad, are those small, sudden joyful moments. Because the long and distant road still needs to be supported by those little joys to keep moving forward.

Of course, joy doesn’t only come in the form of spending money.
There are many free joys too: tidying your room so it smells nice, taking a ten-minute walk for yourself, writing down three things today that made you smile, helping someone who truly needs care and support. As a woman, and also as a daughter, a friend, a colleague
(and also a mom, also a wife), I need even more to understand ~ learning to take care of my emotions is a kind of responsibility.

Many times, we’re reluctant to treat ourselves better because we think, "let’s wait till later." But how many of those “laters” in life will truly arrive as expected? Wait till retirement, wait till a promotion, wait till the mortgage is paid off… Maybe you’ve waited, but by then, your body and your mood may no longer allow you to enjoy.

Life may not have a standard answer, but I’ve always believed: its meaning does not lie in how many great achievements we accumulate, but in how many joyful moments we can capture that make us smile. Those moments may be ordinary, but they are the fuel that keeps us going.
So, I’m more and more convinced, the meaning of life isn’t just about reaching the destination, but about those shining moments along the way.

Lastly, I want to say, I’m not encouraging you to blindly buy things, or use spending as a way to escape problems. I just want to say, don’t be stingy about creating some moments that truly make you smile from the heart. Even if it’s just a small, seemingly insignificant moment.

After all, we live not to turn life into a marathon where we keep running non-stop on the road, but to sometimes stop along the way ~ look at the scenery, take a breath, eat a candy, then continue walking forward.

So, next time, if you see that dessert you want to eat, that concert you want to attend,
that seaside you want to go to— don’t hesitate anymore. Spend that little bit of money, and exchange it for your piece of happiness. Because you deserve it.

After all ~ the meaning of life lies in every joyful moment, doesn’t it?

( Translated from the original Chinese text )

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