the only prize is happiness
I'm writing you with a big smile from Formentera, a tiny island in Spain that's one of my favorite places in the world.
During the day I work a lot here .. and take snorkeling & gelato breaks (yeah the diet is hard to keep here ..).
When I first arrived, a dear friend and member of our community wrote saying he's not sure why he's in NY now. He said he wasn't making more money being in NY and that it was making him feel stressed.
"Come visit!" I suggested. He's thinking about it.
I get it. For so long I thought life was MEANT to be hard. I'm embarrassed to say that deep down I thought I'd get some sort of prize if I worked a lot .. and if things were .. hard.
But then I went to a Vedic retreat led by Thom Knoles .. about our addiction to suffering. And I read more about Buddhism, which says we're conditioned to suffer .. until we train our minds NOT to suffer.
Now I know we actually get a prize if we follow our happiness. The prize is joy. We get there by working when we need to but also by doing what's fun for us! And being happy and light.
We won't feel this way all the time. But we don't need to suffer all the time, too. There's no prize for hardship.
So maybe you can't hop on a flight today. You could take that pottery class you've been eyeing for a year. You could skip out of work (maybe?) and walk The High Line for half an hour. You can pop into a gallery for a minute and look at a painting that inspires you. You can read a novel for fifteen minutes in the morning before work.
Or for one day you could choose to smile at each stranger you pass on the street.
This week I encourage you to follow your bliss. Do what's fun or silly or enchanting or charming.
I'd love to hear how it goes for you - send me a line here and let's chat about how it feels to prioritize FUN.
And this Tuesday, join Marlie McGovern for an expertly guided meditation about joy 7pm at The Standard, East Village. YES let's focus on happiness this week!