When the activities that we do turn into a race or become a subconscious reason to prove ourselves, they lose their charm.
- Writing for traffic and attention gives us a temporary high but eventually, that snatches the genuine pleasure of penning down words.
- Measuring Strava stats while cycling seems like a great accomplishment, but only until the numbers start distracting us from the joy of pedaling.
- Sharing travel pictures on social media for likes gives a temporary self-esteem boost – but also leaves us with unfathomable hollowness.
I say this as I’ve experienced it, with no intention of generalizing.
But here’s what I know: being captivated by the work at hand and immersing oneself in doing it brings an unmatchable joy with it.
And when we let anything interfere with that genuine flow of work, that sucks the purpose out of it.
Soon, we find ourselves stuck in artificial pressure where what we love resembles an obligation.
The takeaway?
It’s essential to preserve a certain purity, the soul of stuff that we do, despite all the external influences.
Otherwise, what we do doesn’t feel the same anymore. Or in other words, it feels lifeless and dull.