It seems as if we’re really uncomfortable with the being of something. I’ve been noticing this recently. If someone is enjoying something other people get uncomfortable and need to insert themselves, often in a negative way. This is a common theme in the world of geekdom where people spend a great deal of time energy and money to enjoy themselves and the response from others is generally “Oh, you like that. I remember liking that as a child, but I then I grew up…” *sigh* Just as a point of interest, I doubt that as a child you were learning how to be an expert in leather work and tooling so you could create a wearable work of art like an Asgardian Iron Man suit or the metalwork necessary to make a Steampunk variant. And if you think this is a hobby and a waste of time and money, look again because these are made by business people who are living what they love and loving how they live. So don’t tell me to put away childish things, I’m going to enjoy life to the fullest and you can put away our childish notions of what is childish. So there!
We envy a slower paced life where we can enjoy living while we’re adulting, but at the same time we make sure that we’re not able to have that life through the actions that we take. It’s as if we’re afraid to truly enjoy something because if we somehow release the momentum we’ve built up of “getting things done” the world will fall apart. We’ll become lazy bastards who do nothing all day but watch crappy TV and live off assistance. Because somehow life is meant to be flogged through not enjoyed and any enjoyment needs to be put off for special occasions like holidays and vacations or retirement and the mythical, “When the time is right.” This showed up recently in a press conference right after Misty Copeland was told she’d achieved her dream of becoming the first African American primary dancer for American Ballet Theatre. She’s emotional and elated and dazed, but gracious in the moment and a reporter asks her what her next dream is. Seriously? Does life require us to be on a never ending hamster wheel of working to achieve dreams? Is there never a moment when we can enjoy having achieved them? Is it so terrifying to think that we can truly be our dreams for just one moment?
Enjoying life isn’t forbidden fruit. It isn’t a trap that will keep us from being who we are. It doesn’t make us lesser, it doesn’t hinder us from achieving, and it isn’t a reward at the end of life for working hard. It’s not kryptonite stealing our abilities, it’s an indicator that we’re doing things right. It’s what recharges our batteries, nourishes our soul, and tells us we’re on the right track. It’s the small voice that reminds us why we’re doing all this doing. Seems like we need to get into the habit of respecting that voice in ourselves and in others. So what can you take time to enjoy today?