Doing what we enjoy
I’m thinking of writing a series of articles about Life and how to live it well: observations and conclusions often drawn from the times when I’ve not lived so well, perhaps because I’ve found myself caught and bound into doing things I didn’t enjoy.
And now I would say that in life, which can be wearying at the best of times, if we want to live well and happily – I might even go so far as to say that, since we are given life, it is our sacred duty to live joyfully – we really should only be doing what we enjoy.
We’ve heard it said often enough that an insincere gesture is not worth a bean; or rather, that the smallest sincerity is worth more than the biggest obligation.
And so, if we unwrap that to the whole of our lives, it makes sense for us to do what we choose, and avoid those things we don’t. Unless, that is, we can muster enough heart and desire to do all things with a sense of lightness. Otherwise, what is the point? Sooner or later, our disgruntlement will leak all over our generous, polite, obliging veneer as we falteringly try to explain why we went to such an effort. And if you are anything like me, the disappointment from not making it work, will be acute.
So starting from now – not, like in most cases, first thing tomorrow, but right this minute – I think I’ll do what I enjoy, and really enjoy it. That must surely be why people call life a gift, or a treasure: because we can do what we like with it.
By doing what we enjoy, we also make the point to others that they are free and not beholden to us. Our freedom – and our evident joy in our freedom – sends a message that others are equally liberated from the bounds of expectation, rules, obligation, to do as they please.
Now that is a liberating thought.
Thanks for listening.
Please share:
June 26, 2019 @ 4:23 am
Yes Fran, there are some people who seem to make you feel beholden to them and it places a bitterness between the giver and the receiver.
In the interplay between one and another the ability to say ‘Thank you’ and to mean it goes a long way to making the exchange enjoyable to both.
June 26, 2019 @ 9:40 am
Hi Paol! 🙂 So true. I think there is enough to do, without feeling any need to justify or explain, don’t you? We get into boggy waters, when we start comparing and justifying. But I do find it is easier for me to do what I choose, when I simply decide first, and then others tend to agree more easily. Thank you so much for reading my posts and commenting. I hope you have a happy Summer – I mean, winter! Xxx
July 3, 2019 @ 10:27 pm
A big yes to doing what we love to do. And with the caveat that lots of life is made of maintenance work, some of which isn’t particularly enjoyable. Still, I get it. It isn’t about pleasing others, or living up to some internal need or someone else’s expectations that we will ‘do the right thing’ when we’d rather be doing something else! 🙂
July 11, 2019 @ 12:57 pm
I still find it really difficult, sometimes, to do what I know I would enjoy. So I’m working with the premise that instead of splitting time into those jobs we don’t like and those activities we love, it’d be great to make everything enjoyable, as much as we can. That’s my current hope, anyways. I hope you are havomg a great summer! :-))) ♥