How to Enjoy Life.

There are three main approaches to achieving life’s enjoyment.

To start, let me tell you a story.

One day, while in a moving car, I peeped out from my window and noticed a narrative that shook me.

Out on the streets, a little boy walked, shoulders down, head bent, and feet dragging.

He had stopped an ice cream bike and was raising up cash in his hand.

He frowned and eyed the ice cream man as he pulled out the treat.

I wondered what annoyed him so much that the cold melting sweetness of ice in a cone couldn’t satisfy or quench.

I tell you this story to make an existential point.

You do not enjoy life by what you get but by how you feel.

In other words, sweet things alone won’t make life enjoyable.

You have to put yourself in an enjoyable mood.

The above is not the core idea for enjoying life.

Let me give you another idea:

Organisation is the essence of life.

Let that sink in with this short poem.

Man worries for his life,

but if man creates not time for his tasks

what else will man do but worry?

When you create a sense of organisation, you suddenly find an over availability of free time, which you wouldn’t have observed or imagined if you did not designate away those tiny things that had become big things in your mind.

The third is most crucial. Stay with me here.

I know you work hard and are relentless in your pursuit of success, and at times, it can seem like the stone is not turning.

I know society forces you to believe your worth is tied to achievements—forces you to carve out your path violently.

But something beautiful happens when you let go of the force. (No star wars pun intended, you Jedi bum)

Imagine you’re a boxer in a ring trying to fight for 10 rounds. But in the first four rounds, you’re throwing all the punches, burning up all the energy, and your opponent keeps dodging.

By the sixth round, you’ll most likely gas out or, even worse, be knocked down.

Now, relate this to your life.

Forcing things can cause emotional stress, especially when the outcomes disappoint you.

I know this for a fact because I was stressed not too long ago.

For a month now, I’ve been trying to negotiate a publishing deal for 6 of my shortlisted writers. But each time I seemed to be making progress, one thing or the other broke it down.

Recently, I’ve learnt to let go. Let go of all my worries, fears, stress, and everything has been moving more smoothly.

Knowing when to act and when to let go is essential.

In your own life. You must have noticed that when you try to force things, it leads to resistance, chaos and confusion or an unusual discomfort which you cannot tag to anything.

You cannot control the weather, others’ actions, or the uncertainty of life.

This, however, does not mean you should not act when the opportunity rears its head.

Taking chances is part of letting go.

Take chances but learn not to be attached to the outcome. This is what it means to let go.

When you practice this, life becomes a little easier.

You’ll be in charge of your feelings, which is the first thing that makes life enjoyable.

Then you’ll have control of your surroundings because you have designated ample time for those things that bother you.

And lastly, because you don’t have to force tasks, as a result of time created, activities will follow a natural course, and more free time would lead to less anxiety, and less worry would lead to more happiness.

Go out there and conquer the world with this knowledge.

Remember to share some empathy while at it.