enjoyment fuels persistence

there is a loop i use when i am doing my fulfillment coaching work.

it is that practice cultivates skill, challenges forge tools, and enjoyment fuels persistence.  but right now i want to focus on enjoyment.

enjoyment, pleasure, fun, the “rush” all give us positive feedback from whatever situation or event delivered this feeling.  these associations make us want to do the same thing again.  when this gets out of hand it becomes “addiction”.  when taken in healthy doses, it is also this enjoyment that gives the energy to go on, to persist, even when it doesn’t feel so good to be right here right now.

enjoyment can happen in the moment that work is happening, but it can also happen as the result of accomplishing a challenge (more on the benefits and necessity of challenge in challenges forge tools)

enjoyment is a necessary part of life, NOT a guilty pleasure. the puritanical roots of our society have duped us into believing that it is only through hard work and struggle that anything can be accomplished.   i would say “hogwash”, but there is a time when you will have some necessary effort.

i know that you know exactly what it takes to create enjoyment in your life. i can just hear the i-don’t-know’s and i’m-not-sure’s just rearing their disempowering heads right now. you do know… just check in with yourself.  you could definitely come up with at least a few things to create enjoyment in the next few minutes if you took some time to ask.  and if you do it without thinking, the suggestions would likely not only bring simple enjoyment, but deep satisfaction and joy.

but we don’t listen to ourselves.  we do what we ought to.  we’re very obedient.  and all that obedience makes for very dull people. we justify the lackluster existence by demonstrating how well liked we are by other lackluster people who also don’t have anything going on: look at how my lackluster matches Pete & Jane’s lackluster.  or, look how my blinged-out my lackluster life with things that someone told me would show well.  ooohwee!  now THAT is hogwash!

what could be more uninspiring than scripted living?

there is nothing lackluster about you unless you’ve dulled yourself down!  look at how bright and shiny babies are.  then obedience dulls them down.  memorization, scripted school lessons, and standing in single file lines dulls them down.   unfulfilling jobs dull people down.  self imposed obligation dulls people down.  un-fresh food dulls people down.  predictable living dulls people down.  it is no wonder that observing commuters is like a study in variations on drab.  it actually hurts my heart to witness people living lackluster when i know so much more is possible.

a friend of mine recently relocated across the country.  she accepted a position that started out as an exciting and well-paid position in her field.  a short few months, she discovered the lackluster quality of the position and the b.s. started stinking.  about that time she began her own project that included a blog and a series of interviews.  she gained so much from doing this due to the enjoyment she experienced, that it didn’t even matter how much lackluster madness went on in the office, she knew she had something special going on after work. it fueled her life and she became vibrant and felt alive.  even though she’s still employed with these folks, she has her joy, it helps her to persist through her work week.  and the good news is that her decision to prioritize her enjoyment helped her to negotiate a better position, retain her pay, and have a 4 day work week, and works from home which allows her to enjoy more of her life more of the time.  do you think she is enjoying herself?  she damn sure is and she has regained her vibrant nature.  (read more about what inspired living is about on her blog)

the take away here is that she took it upon herself to create something she enjoyed.  it came from inside her.  because it came from her own inspiration, this vibrant project made all the difference and helped her to persist through a challenging situation.

what kinds of activities help you feel inspired, vibrant, and alive?

your comments are welcome.

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