Hello, friends, and welcome to my version of a primer on the how—and perhaps more importantly the why—of enjoying life regardless of circumstances.

When I say “enjoying life,” I am not advocating obliviousness, complacency, zero-sum success games, or any of the other negative things that Very Online people have come to associate with happiness.

As you likely know, I am a person living daily with terminal cancer. This grim physical reality inside me is not one that can be “tuned out” in order to achieve happiness the way people assume politics must be. And yet I possess a deep, unshakable core of deep serenity, and at least 60% of the time I am even cheerful on the surface, smiling and energetic and ready to laugh at the least provocation.

How?? you might rightfully ask. And I answer that every day I make sure to do three things: