Enjoy Life

“Think of the life you have lived until now as over and, as a dead man, see what’s left as a bonus and live it according to Nature. Love the hand that fate deals you and play it as your own, for what could be more fitting?” – Marcus Aurelius

The other day, during my morning meditation, the narrator (Sam Harris – Waking up app, for those interested) urged listeners to take what they had just practiced and apply it to the day, by taking an undesirable task and making it a living practice.

Meaning, take something you don’t want to do, and give it as much of your attention as possible. That really struck me, as both personally and professionally, I find that one of the leading causes of apathy or ambivalence towards something, is what we tell ourselves to expect, as opposed to just getting on with it and finding out through actual experience. Usually, once we start something we didn’t want to do, it turns out to be more enjoyable than we thought.

In order to truly enjoy life, we cannot always pick and choose what we give effort to. In doing so, we set ourselves up for disappointment and inevitably create feelings of resentment towards tasks that must be done regardless.

The same can be said for letting go of the past. Defining our selves by our previous experiences or actions can lead to a lot of negative emotions. Separating yourself from the past, and operating solely in the present, is the path towards getting the most enjoyment out of your day and life.

Moving forward, try to let go of past hindrances, engross your self in the task at hand, and you may just find yourself enjoying life a little bit more each and every day.

~Tyler