#27 - Careful What You Wish For
Wishing, in the moment, and from within
Gosh, it’s May. The millions willing away the last lockdown have got their wish. Things are easing and summer is just around the corner.
Did we really just lose a year of our lives? I’m not so sure.
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Wishing
I was fortunate compared to most during the last lockdown. My family and friends were in good health, I had plenty to keep me busy with Unplugged, and, honestly, I rather enjoyed the extra time to think and read. Despite an enjoyable few months I did find myself clock-watching. April marked the reopening of gyms and the prospect of some sunshine. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t counting down the days to both.
It’s a dangerous trap to fall into: I can’t wait for my (holiday/promotion/weekend). THEN I’ll be happy. Life is whittled away in this vain. The promotion comes and you’re happier for a few days, but then your happiness resets. Once again, there’s a new event on the horizon and you wish away the days.
The solution is obvious in theory, yet devilishly difficult in practice. Happiness never comes from the next event, it comes from making peace with yourself in the moment. Right now.
In the Moment
It’s a trap I fall into running Unplugged. If only we get to X cabins or the next raise. I know this is misguided: really it’s about the journey, not the destination. But in the heat of the day to day it’s an easy idea to forget.
The experiences and relationships are happening now. Every day I speak to brilliant and interesting people, and work on intellectually stimulating problems. Why wish that away?
I have made leaps and bounds in this regard. The first 24 years of my life were very much wished away. I was always waiting for the next thing- for my time to come. In the last two year, with the help of meditation and alcohol free beers, I’ve begun to find joy in the mundane. Bad days have become a thing of the past. Instead, everyday is spattered with pockets of joy.
I’m writing this on the train to Kent. On the way to measure the access to one of our upcoming sites. I caught myself, this morning, keen to tick it off- to get it done and move one step closer to the next goal with Unplugged.
But now, writing this, I see the error in my ways. Why not enjoy it? I like the train, I like writing this newsletter, and I’m in good health. On top of this the sun is shining and I’m off to a beautiful part of the country with our manufacturing partner Nick. I’m a big fan of Nick. What’s not to like?
From Within
It’s a cliche, but happiness comes from within. It’s easier for me to preach about it on a Sunday morning but much harder to put in to practice. I don’t have the secret formula. It wasn’t so long ago that I was burnout and dissatisfied with life and I remember how non-obvious the path forward was. I got lucky, things panned out well through no genius of my own.
In a world growing rapidly more uncertain there’s no better tool than learning to find joy in every moment. Learning to see the good in all that happens to you. This too is a journey, not a destination. You’ll never reach the end. But the further you get, the brighter and more joyful the days become. Why not start with today?
My Week in Books📚
The Fate of Food by Amanda Little
Wonderful. Feeding 7-8 billion in a way that doesn’t destroy the planet is just about the biggest challenge of our time. The food supply is a mess. But there are some wonderful rescue missions underway. From vertical farming to desalinating oceans, this book is as a good holistic look at the future of food as I’ve seen anywhere. Highly recommended.
This was Rebel Book Club’s book for April.
The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey
Not really about tennis. Which is a shame because I picked it up after a weak performance on a tennis court. Really it’s about peak performance, and cultivating a state of non-judgemental awareness. Powerful stuff- I’ll keep you posted on how it translates to my tennis.
I’ll be updating the books I’ve read this year here. Any recommendations? Let me know!
A Final Thought 💡
“Find joy in everything you choose to do. Every job, relationship, home. It’s your responsibility to love it, or change it.”
– Chuck Palahniuk