Sống đơn giản (La vie simple)

I was inspired to read this because this was a favourite of Theodore Roosevelt’s. This is a great read, with many passages that I have made notes on. Sometimes, we think that in our modern time, we are full of worry, stress, anxiety, over work, etc. That those things are somewhat heightened and exclusive in our times. But when you read this book, you realize that people in the 19th century had the very same concerns. So in a way, this book is just as relevant today as it was in 1901.

There is no question that reading this made me think of stoicism. The idea that pain, anguish, and negativity come from the inside, not the external. Simplify yourself. Strengthen the humanity inside of you. “Action your mission”, Wagner writes. The mission of outward love, respect, and making other’s lives just a bit better.