The Unenjoyed Life Is Not Worth Living

For the past 2 weeks or so, I've been taking a soft break from my work responsibilities. Having been called back to fulfil my reservist requirements, I took a foot off the gas pedal (which wasn't that hard down in the first place), and sat into the relaxation of not being fully obliged to show up at the office, to do the work that was required of me.

Usually when I take a break from the work that needs to be done, I feel quite guilty but this time, I had a decent enough reason to do so (government mandated reasons to do so). It' quite hard to relax properly when you feel guilty for it, it's not mentally restorative but in this case, I found it quite rejuvenating, giving me time to not only spend more time with the people I love, but to also pursue things that I've been putting off, such as promotional stuff for the band or even playing the new spiderman game which my friend so generously lent me.

While this may go against many self improvement principles of always working on yourself, having the discipline to do that hard work when you don't feel like it, it felt freeing, and it brought a thought to my mind.

The Death of Socrates (1787) - Jacques Louis David

The unexamined life is not worth living

The quote is a well known aphorism by Socrates, the daddy philosopher himself. I interpret this statement as learning to live intentionally at it's core, to ensure that I am always on the right track, that I am keeping promises set out to myself. If you don't examine your life, how will you know if you're staying true to your goals, to your habits and your ambitions?

I found that in the past 2 weeks where I've been "slacking" off , I felt incredibly happy though I was no longer living as intentionally as I would like. I was actually really enjoying myself. So I'd like to take a little spin on this quote with my own take.

The unenjoyed life is not worth living

Yes, you have to live your life with intention to live in a manner which you want, but if you don't stop to enjoy it every once in a while, what's the point?

Intentionality and examination on one's life can go hand in hand with enjoyment too. Self improvement gurus and hustlers may tell you, "Examine your life, cut out the bullshit and aim directly towards you goal", but I think it can go beyond that to "cut out the bullshit that you don't enjoy, and aim to do things that you enjoy".

We all strive for more and more. More money, more time, more attention, more, more more. But to what end?

Never let your quest for more distract you from the beauty of enough.

It's easy to get caught in the hedonic treadmill, yes. But on the other end of the spectrum there’s the problem of chasing more. I don’t know what we should call it. The improvement/more treadmill? Examine your life, look at what you're doing and ask if you're truly enjoying yourself. If you don't enjoy it, what's the point?

Also something to keep in mind is that different people have different forms of enjoyment. So always keep an open mind when listening to a person. People like David Goggins or Alex Hormozi may love running/business respectively. They constantly get people telling them they should take a break or whatever, but what people don’t understand is that this isn’t work for them, this is play.

Don’t let other people’s definition of enjoyment mar your own definition. Do what makes you happy, enjoy in the way you want to. At the end of the day it’s all about balance. Never go too hedonic and never get too “greedy”.

My reservist is still ongoing right now, but I've managed to find time during this period to learn a new skill (I'm learning blender now to do some 3D animations for my band), and I'm also spending more time with my band doing music and promotional stuff. I've also had more time to spend with my girlfriend, which is something that I will always prioritize. I strongly believe that life is built around relationships, be it with your partner, your family or your friends.