I drearily stare into the mirror and see a weary face staring back at me. 

She smiles and tells me that all my effort will reward me soon enough. 

She tells me to never give myself a break. 

I nod, but I know there’s more to life than endless labor. 

Life must be more than monetary success. 

Oh, to live in the era of Transcendentalism. 

The tenets and core values of Transcendentalism drag the burdensome weights off my shoulders. 

They remind me that a life of success comes not from arduous efforts. 

Rather, it comes from understanding the gift of life lies in life itself. 

These tenets and ideas radically transformed my mind and the way I think about the world. 

I now understand that no amount of financial success is worth my well-being. 

I understand that the beauty of life comes with love, family, and connection. 

Spending time with myself, out in nature, that is the beauty of life. 

It isn’t not the green paper, it is the green leaves outside. 

I can now step out to take a breather without feeling guilty. 

Without feeling guilty about not spending all my time working. 

I now understand that man, God, and nature are all connected and can never be separated. 

Such is the way of life and so will it be. 

Now that I understand this, I proudly say that I can live freely, consciously, and deliberately.