It’s easy to look at the sickening pace of modern life and fantasize about escaping. The complexity (and noise) that we have layered into our daily existence feels unnatural. Peace feels like it exists somewhere else.
But my challenge to myself, and you the reader, is not to get lost dreaming of escaping because then you could really live the life you want, that’s just lazy escapism. The real mustard is whether you can layer meaningful things into life right where you are.
There are a thousand little choices we make each day about what we give our attention to, how we choose to eat, and where we go to find pockets of peace that the world is more than happy to steamroll if we let it.
There are certainly times that call for drastic changes. The "put your foot down, this will go on no further" moments. But more often than not, the real change comes in the form of the little things that build a beautiful life.
Do I sometimes fantasize about living in a remote cabin in the woods for a month? Of course, I have blood in my veins.
But then I think about how fulfilling it is to let the kids help make dinner, even when it takes twice as long and creates six times the mess.
I think about pulling something out of the game freezer that has a memory attached to it and sharing it with family and friends. I think about how I have much more freedom to layer the rich textures into life than I sometimes think—when I’m making excuses.
If you (again, I’m just reminding myself out loud) are waiting for the conditions to be perfect, you’re going to be waiting a very long time. Start with the little moments: read something that sparks your curiosity, make a meal that takes 8 times longer to prepare than it does to eat, go for an early morning walk (or surf) before the rest of the house is awake, start planning the trip.
A good life isn’t built in a day, it’s practiced in the small decisions of what we give our attention to and how we spend our time.
What's Next?
We have a potluck dinner coming up on June 3, in Costa Mesa
