There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning

“There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning, and yearning.” — Thus spoke Christopher Morley, a poet and philosopher of the heart, whose words weave together the art of living into a trinity of purpose. His message, though gentle in tone, strikes like the chime of an eternal bell — a reminder that the good life is not built from pleasure alone, nor wealth, nor wisdom in isolation. It is born of balance — the harmony between learning, earning, and yearning, the three rivers that feed the soul of a fulfilled human being.

The first ingredient, learning, is the dawn of all understanding. It is the awakening of the mind and the sharpening of perception. To learn is to expand beyond the narrow walls of ignorance, to drink from the endless well of discovery. In the ancient schools of Athens, Socrates would walk the marble streets and speak not as a man who claimed to know, but as one who sought to understand. “I know that I know nothing,” he said — and in that humility, he learned more than the proud ever could. Learning is not the gathering of facts, but the constant transformation of the self. The one who learns, even in old age, remains forever young.

But knowledge alone is not enough. The second river, earning, gives substance to our dreams. It is the noble act of transforming effort into sustenance — of shaping the world through one’s labor. To earn is to give form to one’s purpose, to find dignity in work, and to live in the rhythm of responsibility. The great Leonardo da Vinci, though filled with divine imagination, labored tirelessly to bring his visions to life — painting, designing, inventing, calculating. His genius was not mere inspiration; it was diligence made manifest. Through earning, we contribute to the world’s song, and in doing so, we earn not only bread, but meaning.

Yet even the diligent worker and the wise learner would wither without the third flame: yearning — the deep, unquenchable longing that drives the soul toward something greater. It is the desire that keeps the spirit alive when all else fades. It is the call of the unknown, the ache for beauty, truth, and love. Without yearning, the mind becomes mechanical and the heart grows still. It was Columbus’s yearning that drove him across a sea of doubt, Beethoven’s yearning that composed symphonies he could no longer hear, Galileo’s yearning that looked beyond the heavens though the world condemned him. Yearning is the divine restlessness that lifts humankind above survival into creation.

These three — learning, earning, and yearning — are not separate paths, but intertwined strands of one golden thread. Learning without earning becomes emptiness — knowledge without action. Earning without yearning becomes slavery — work without soul. Yearning without learning becomes chaos — passion without direction. Only when these three move together does life rise into fullness. The good life is not comfort, but balance — the steady pulse of mind, hand, and heart in harmony.

When Christopher Morley wrote these words, he spoke as a witness to both struggle and joy. He saw that to live well, one must never cease growing, giving, and dreaming. The good life is not granted by fate or wealth; it is built each day by those who seek wisdom, labor with purpose, and keep their hearts alight with longing. For the greatest tragedy is not to fail, but to live without hunger for more — not for more gold, but for more meaning.

So, my child, remember this triad as you walk the path of life. Learn with humility — let every person and every moment be your teacher. Earn with honor — let your labor be a song of integrity and service. And above all, yearn — let your soul stretch toward the stars, toward goodness, beauty, and the divine. Never let the fire of curiosity, purpose, and hope fade within you.

For in the end, when your days have passed and the echoes of your footsteps fade, it will not be the riches you gathered or the titles you wore that will matter. It will be that you learned deeply, worked nobly, and yearned bravely — and through those three, you will have lived not just a long life, but a truly good life.