Usually, I feel free. Usually, I am free. Almost always, I decide where I go and what for. But that’s a reality that I’ve convinced myself of. I decide where I go, because I know (or think I know) what I need to do to accomplish my goals. But we're not always completely free in the way that we do “whatever we want.” It’s not always so simple. Travel is for a purpose. For business or for pleasure, but usually for a balance between the two.
I don’t always feel completely liberated from the stresses which I try to avoid. I realize that (and am grateful for the fact that) I have liberties not everyone does. But it’s crucial to know that not everything is perfect. (It usually isn’t.) It makes the freedoms that we enjoy so much more obvious when we are conscious of the actions that we tie ourselves to.
Obligations teach us responsibility and ownership. They show us what we are capable of in a world where some responsibilities are necessary and unavoidable. But it is of utmost importance to know where to draw the line. The line between what we must do and what we want to do. In an ideal world, we do both simultaneously. In our own versions of our “real world,” we compromise. We compromise to meet our personal goals, to help those we love accomplish theirs, and to practice selflessness by leaving behind what we want to see in this world.
Writing for practice is something I enjoy, and I choose to make time for that. But I don’t always want to sit in front of a screen and hash out thoughts for the next blog post to be posted next week. The ritual that I’m so grateful for is usually a labor. The trick to happily pursuing different things is to prioritize those things that truly make us happy amongst the things that we know WILL make us happy. Those things that show promise for our future selves and who we want them to be.
I don’t always feel completely liberated from the stresses which I try to avoid. I realize that (and am grateful for the fact that) I have liberties not everyone does. But it’s crucial to know that not everything is perfect. (It usually isn’t.) It makes the freedoms that we enjoy so much more obvious when we are conscious of the actions that we tie ourselves to.
Obligations teach us responsibility and ownership. They show us what we are capable of in a world where some responsibilities are necessary and unavoidable. But it is of utmost importance to know where to draw the line. The line between what we must do and what we want to do. In an ideal world, we do both simultaneously. In our own versions of our “real world,” we compromise. We compromise to meet our personal goals, to help those we love accomplish theirs, and to practice selflessness by leaving behind what we want to see in this world.
Writing for practice is something I enjoy, and I choose to make time for that. But I don’t always want to sit in front of a screen and hash out thoughts for the next blog post to be posted next week. The ritual that I’m so grateful for is usually a labor. The trick to happily pursuing different things is to prioritize those things that truly make us happy amongst the things that we know WILL make us happy. Those things that show promise for our future selves and who we want them to be.
Exploring rock features at Joshua Tree National Park
So next time you sit down to work, or play, or travel, or practice, realize that it’s a choice that is only your own. We all make choices of how to spend our time, where to place our bets, and how often to pursue one thing over any other. It is indeed a first-world luxury to decide how to spend our time most efficiently. We are past the societal phase of hunter-gatherer and far into the phase of specialization, self-growth, and creation for the sake of creating. And with all that being said, it is so important to spend the time that we do have in the pursuit of, well, happiness.
Happiness will be defined differently by each one of us. And therefore, the actions we decide to take will differ according to those assumptions. It is not so simple as what we want or what we need, but what we decide, based on what we know of ourselves.
This weekend and further along into next week, practice consciousness of how each of your moments is spent, whether it be measured in productivity, positivity, or prosperity. Most of the time, they do not all three overlap, but if we make a habit in each day of bettering ourselves and improving that ratio, we’ll make a better life for ourselves and also learn much more about who we are. I know that I’ve learned much about what makes me happy just by pursuing certain things over others; being conscious of what makes me happiest and changing those things, little by little.
Always be testing, never peak.
And never settle. Be free.
- 7Ply Epic
Happiness will be defined differently by each one of us. And therefore, the actions we decide to take will differ according to those assumptions. It is not so simple as what we want or what we need, but what we decide, based on what we know of ourselves.
This weekend and further along into next week, practice consciousness of how each of your moments is spent, whether it be measured in productivity, positivity, or prosperity. Most of the time, they do not all three overlap, but if we make a habit in each day of bettering ourselves and improving that ratio, we’ll make a better life for ourselves and also learn much more about who we are. I know that I’ve learned much about what makes me happy just by pursuing certain things over others; being conscious of what makes me happiest and changing those things, little by little.
Always be testing, never peak.
And never settle. Be free.
- 7Ply Epic
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