This message finds me at Mount Athos, specifically at the Holy Monastery of Stavronikita.

The monastery’s history dates back to the 10th century. In keeping with the old monastic traditions, there is still no electricity here, and the monks retreat to their cells at 8:30 PM. They follow the Old Calendar, which means that for the monks, today is August 1st.

They also follow Byzantine time, which means midnight is marked at sunset. As a result, the morning wake-up call is at 3:00 AM.

Everything here feels entirely different, even foreign. A different time, a different day, a different era without electricity, without mobile phones, without any electronic devices. How is this possible? And more importantly, why?

A monk shared a bit of his story with me. He said he came from an upper-middle-class family in Australia of Greek descent, a family that owned large businesses both in Australia and the UK. He traveled extensively and was quite satisfied with his professional life, yet something was missing. At the age of 45, he visited Mount Athos. And something shifted. He felt fulfilled. He felt peace. He felt calm. That was about seven years ago. Since then, he has left behind what they call “the worldly life,” abandoned all material possessions, and now radiates love or at least, that’s what I sense when I see him, living in a way that truly fulfills him.

How different is this story from the ones we usually hear or expect to hear in our everyday lives?

Most of us or at least many are constantly striving for more: a better job, a higher salary, the next big thing. So why would someone give all that up to live with nothing? To withdraw? To isolate himself (if I may say so)?

The answer is hard, yet simple. Because that’s what his soul called him to do. That’s what fills him, what helps him grow, what brings him peace.

Since when have material goods been the universal measure of fulfillment? Or, to put it differently, since when has “the more, the better” spoken to everyone?

At the very moment someone finishes a meal and throws away what’s left on their plate, the World Food Program is seeking donations to feed people in over 16 countries.

I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. All I want is for us to reflect on a few questions:
What truly makes me happy?
How lucky am I to have what I have?
And above all what fills my soul?

Can I tell you what fills mine?

A glass of cold water
The forests of Metsovo
The sunset in Amorgos
A nighttime message from a loved one
Music on the record player on a Saturday morning

How much do these cost? Nothing, except my health.
To experience them, I need to be alive. As Robin Sharma once wrote,
“You can’t become a legend if you are dead.”

Nothing else matters if you are not healthy.
Therefore, the present moment is your best and only real option.

You get to choose how you live it and who you share it with.
But live it.

Wishing you a beautiful rest of August.

Until next time… keep living (in the way and with the people who truly fill your soul).

With love and appreciation,
Apostolos