For the F of It
To The Collective Fitness Community,
This week. It's okay to enjoy things purely for the enjoyment.
In our drive for progress, for self-improvement, for getting better every damn minute of every day, we often fall into a few traps. We demand a purpose, whether for every action or a noble cause, a measurable outcome for every moment of our time. Reading must be for learning. Hobbies must be for skill development. Even rest sometimes feels like it needs to be "productive rest" – active recovery, strategic napping, anything but simply being. We've conditioned ourselves to believe that pleasure needs justification, that joy needs a deeper reason beyond its own existence. And that, frankly, is a load of bullshit.
Life, in all its complexity and relentless demands, also offers moments that are meant to be savored for their own sake. Run because you like it. Dance because it feels good. A genuine laugh with a friend that leaves your gut hurting – these aren't stepping stones to a greater goal. They are destinations themselves. They are the essential moments that infuse life with color and texture, prevent tedious ad-nauseum.
Consider the simple act of listening to a song you love. Do you analyze its lyrical structure, its chord progression, its cultural impact? Perhaps, if that's your jam. But sometimes, you just let the damn thing wash over you, feeling the beat, singing along off-key, losing yourself in the pure, unadulterated sensation of it. That's not wasted time; that's living. That's recharging the very spirit that fuels your drive for improvement.
This week, I challenge you to consciously seek out moments of unburdened enjoyment. Do something, anything, simply because it feels good, because it brings you a flicker of joy, because it makes you smile. Don't ask what it's for. Don't look for the lesson, the calorie burn, or the networking opportunity. Just allow yourself the pure, unadulterated pleasure of the moment.
It's not indulgence; it's sustenance. It's not a distraction from your purpose; it's a critical part of a life worth striving for. The freedom to simply enjoy is a muscle worth developing, a profound antidote to the relentless pressure to always be "on" or always be "doing."