When is the last time you genuinely enjoyed yourself?
I used to cheat my own life, imagining some distant call to adventure– some fantasy, where a series of unlikely events would scoop me from this reality and throw me into action.
I was always bored, and I thought this was some deep truth of mine. I thought that somehow my internal dissatisfaction came from my connection to a higher calling, my fate, LOL.
Now I can laugh at that.
Never did it occur to me, that I was bored because I didn’t focus on the present or that rather than deep dive into all the things I had going for me, I kept mentally toying with bullshit.
My misery wasn’t a result of my station in life, rather it was a practice I’d unknowingly developed.
Fact is, I wasn’t happy with my life because I wasn’t practicing happiness.
It’s never life, it’s not where you are– it’s just how you decide to approach it all.
I say this like it didn’t take me years to discover, when in reality it did. When you can finally dedicate yourself to enjoying your life, it all starts to feel like pure ecstasy, it starts to feel like your own movie– which it is.
So I started this experiment– sort of a reframe that I could use in every situation. At first it was casual, but I’m getting better at it and having directly felt the positive results, I’m doing it more often.
Anytime I was about to do something, especially if I hated it or didn’t want to do it, rather than disengage and fantasize– I leaned in.
I brought the play.
I’d ask questions, try to get inside the world as deep as possible, connect to each and every individual and of course, I joked around and took everything lightly.
And the result? Pure awesomeness.
Meetings that would have otherwise went nowhere turned into fun group collaborations. People I’d otherwise judge and write off, ended up actually being cool and fun to work with.
By bringing the play, I gained an unusual superpower. Firstly, my life instantly became awesome. I no longer fantasized because I was really enjoying myself in the moment, but by bringing this attitude people responded differently to me.
Everyone connected, not just me. By opening up to them, they opened up to me. I don’t mean sharing your deep secrets, just being engaged and genuinely listening.
Most people fade into the background of their own lives, and this happens because they’re too busy hating all of it. That’s the secret.
Make yourself in awe of every moment, bring the play– joke around, be light, shine. This is your movie, and by doing this, I promise you it will be the most enriching experience you’ll ever have.