In my quest for the understanding of the 'meaning of life', I found myself grappling with a smaller, yet critical piece of the puzzle - 'how to navigate our daily lives'. I originally intended to delve into grand existential questions, but as I pondered, I realized that the real wisdom often lies in the mundane. The secret to a fulfilling life might just be in how we approach our everyday routines, tasks, and interactions.
However, I don't profess to have all the answers. In fact, I doubt if anyone ever will. Life is a subjective journey, each person navigating through their own unique path. Nevertheless, what I can offer you are my insights and practices that have served me over the years. I have found them effective in keeping my life on a track of joy and fulfillment. These are not the 'answer' type answers, but I hope they will prove to be more helpful than any definite answers.
1) Build the system, don't chase targets.
Most of us are conditioned to chase goals and targets in life. This method can provide temporary motivation but often leads to stress and dissatisfaction. Even when you achieve your goals quickly, the joy you experience tends to be short-lived. Once a goal is accomplished, a void forms, and we scramble to fill it with another target.
An alternative approach is to focus on building a system, your fundamental life principles, mindset, and things you love doing. Essentially, this means focusing more on the process rather than the outcome. This attitude promotes continual growth and progression, and the happiness derived from it tends to last longer. You will find everything flowing naturally, and you'll have more emotional resilience to face life's challenges.
2) Find fun on a daily basis, even in the most ordinary tasks.
Finding joy in everyday tasks is an effective and easy way to boost your happiness. By "finding fun", I mean intentionally setting up a fun element at the beginning of a task, rather than extracting it from the end result.
For instance, if you have to write a 1000 words post, setting up a challenge for yourself, like writing 10 words in 10 minutes, can make the task more enjoyable. Or if you have to walk to work, trying a new route and observing new sights on the way can turn a mundane activity into an adventure.
3) Seek wisdom in philosophy.
I've recently been exploring ancient Chinese philosophy books such as those of Lao Tzu (Laozi). I find these texts profound and thought-provoking, enriching my understanding of life and happiness. I'll share some of these insights in later posts.
I hope you find these small practices helpful as you navigate your daily life. Remember, the key is not to find the perfect 'meaning of life', but to find methods that make your everyday journey more joyful and fulfilling. We may not know the exact answer to life's grand questions, but we can at least strive to live our everyday lives with joy, energy, and health. And perhaps, in that process, we might stumble upon our own unique answers.
