Notice how it leaves you

After some things you feel good: a conversation with a friend, a finished piece of work, some exercise, an afternoon helping someone. After others, once the high wears off, there's a bitter aftertaste: hours of screen time, a party that went wrong, something you knew wasn't good for you. Not all satisfactions have the same effect. Some bring peace and make you more generous; others promise a lot and leave you dissatisfied. Paying attention to that "afterward" is a very practical way of knowing what really does you good. It's not about distrusting everything you like. It's about no longer being guided only by what you feel like in the moment and also looking at how it leaves you.