I made an account just to say thank you to you - parent, and the original poster, and all the others I had read here. And to share my story.
I had the jobs I loved for a very long time (even being in the same corp; and even if jobs were hard). And then the job I loved rather abruptly ended. And I ended up in a job that isn’t exciting for me. And, there is a fair amount of politics and egos. But it pays well and is super flexible. And it’s not too dreadful - more like “meh, okay”. And worse - the alternatives aren’t more exciting either. So in a way - just a cynical way to look at having a luxury problem at hands, I guess.
So I focus on the things I can enjoy here and now, to stay in the moment, while keeping the eyes open for something that I can believe in. I find myself hard problems that I try to solve - yet do not have the pressure to, have little quick side projects, and do one hour of high intensity training every day. I focus on my family and friends outside of work (in the past years I gained a few) It helps.
But I think the reason of this state, is not just doing too much work - it’s that we need something to believe in, something to allow ourselves relax, and show child-like curiosity and emotions for. It’s having more control, if you wish, in some sense, or illusion thereof.
The modern world is so much make-pretend in an attempt to optimize everything, so judgemental, so result-oriented and transactional, that after a while it’s hard to find something “pure”, worth believing in and following. And especially hard after seeing a few cycles, to get excited about another one, people chasing the next holy grail...
Some people would get into a religion, it would definitely help me more if I could. But I can’t.
I have been also reading.
Of the many books that I have read to try to figure myself out - “the new earth”, “the brain that changes itself” and “thinking in systems” are probably among the ones that I would recommend the most. (Of course, the first one has some kind of association behind it, and the second does promote a brain-training app - science based. But it’s nice to see the reasons clear :-) Only the third one is “pure“ - but once you read it, you realize the entirety of the world is just a giant pile of interconnected systems on many levels, and you are back to square 1... :-)
I had the jobs I loved for a very long time (even being in the same corp; and even if jobs were hard). And then the job I loved rather abruptly ended. And I ended up in a job that isn’t exciting for me. And, there is a fair amount of politics and egos. But it pays well and is super flexible. And it’s not too dreadful - more like “meh, okay”. And worse - the alternatives aren’t more exciting either. So in a way - just a cynical way to look at having a luxury problem at hands, I guess.
So I focus on the things I can enjoy here and now, to stay in the moment, while keeping the eyes open for something that I can believe in. I find myself hard problems that I try to solve - yet do not have the pressure to, have little quick side projects, and do one hour of high intensity training every day. I focus on my family and friends outside of work (in the past years I gained a few) It helps.
But I think the reason of this state, is not just doing too much work - it’s that we need something to believe in, something to allow ourselves relax, and show child-like curiosity and emotions for. It’s having more control, if you wish, in some sense, or illusion thereof.
The modern world is so much make-pretend in an attempt to optimize everything, so judgemental, so result-oriented and transactional, that after a while it’s hard to find something “pure”, worth believing in and following. And especially hard after seeing a few cycles, to get excited about another one, people chasing the next holy grail...
Some people would get into a religion, it would definitely help me more if I could. But I can’t.
I have been also reading.
Of the many books that I have read to try to figure myself out - “the new earth”, “the brain that changes itself” and “thinking in systems” are probably among the ones that I would recommend the most. (Of course, the first one has some kind of association behind it, and the second does promote a brain-training app - science based. But it’s nice to see the reasons clear :-) Only the third one is “pure“ - but once you read it, you realize the entirety of the world is just a giant pile of interconnected systems on many levels, and you are back to square 1... :-)
Sorry for the not very coherent rant.
Thank you again, and take care!