Are you setting yourself up to feel joy and excitement? Or are you setting yourself up to be angry, frustrated, and disappointed?
Why is it so hard for some people (ok all of us) to just enjoy the things we do (rowing, writing, cooking, painting, whatever)? Why do we have to put so much pressure on ourselves to be the best, or to be perfect?
High standards are ok. Goals are great. But it’s also important to be able to take pleasure in pleasurable things. We get in the way of our own happiness sometimes when we decide that enjoyment isn’t enough. But it can be enough if we let it.
I used to love to draw. I was never that great at freehand drawing. But I was really good at looking at a picture and recreating it. I had pages and pages of drawings. I’d lose track of time while drawing. I didn’t want to sell them or be the greatest illustrator of all time. I just loved the process of observing and taking a blank page and making something that wasn’t there before. So when my cat Coco vomited all over them I was upset but not devastated. They weren’t something I had to hold onto forever. They were simply pieces of my playful spirit that had come to life. (To be honest with you I still have them. I don’t know how but they made I through nearly 30 years and still have some crusted vom on them).
My point is there are so many things in life that can cause stress and pain and difficulty. Why let the things that should be joyful and pleasurable add to the mix? We should strive to achieve but also strive to be playful and kid-like. Nourishing our creative souls is equally as important as working 40 hours to pay the bills or setting a world record or defending your PhD.
What do you think?
