How much time and money do we spend in our lives to make everything convenient? We optimized our lives so much that we had a lot of time to do many things. Yet, we lost the joy in them.
Does everything have to be convenient? Some things should be inconvenient. The beauty hides in inconvenience. Writing must be on paper with a pen at hand. For example, I spend so much time on the computer and keep all my notes on it. So, I stopped writing by hand. However, writing is not about fast typing or convenience, it’s about evaluating ideas, reshaping them, and slowing down the thought stream so that we can catch the good fish in a flowing river.
It’s the same with choosing movies: it has to be with our friend’s recommendation, not with algorithms. We have to go to the movie theater and hate a movie, swear for the time we spend. If we watch great movies all the time, doesn’t it become boring? Take Netflix as an example; it fills every moment that we spend in the living room. We watch whatever Netflix recommends. We sacrificed joy for convenience.
We must be there while doing any activity. Who drinks coffee and does nothing else anymore? How many people do we see sitting and listening to music without a phone, computer, or book?
The joy, learning, and growth come from enough uncertainty and being open to new things. Convenience kills creativity by making everything in order.
That’s what I’m leaving you with.
Look at your life; find where you shouldn’t need comfort and convenience. Seek inconvenience in activities that you really like to do. If you like drinking coffee, try only drinking coffee without a side activity. You’ll taste and start experimenting with your brewing method. If you like listening to music, try sitting on a couch and listening to the music. You’ll understand what exactly you like in a song. If you enjoy watching movies, go to a movie theater and ask the staff for recommendations. You’ll recognize the difference; you’ll remember.
- Related Note(s):
- Resourced: Mediations #1;
