Martian Thoughts

Not fun anymore

Given enough time to do anything, we may begin to doubt ourselves. Aside from those who always blame an external force – either personal or circumstantial – most of us will introspect to determine the cause of our shortcomings. If we’ve attained a degree of success, we will frantically look for the moment things begin to turn for the worse. When did we lose our mojo? Why is it we cannot focus anymore?

In my experience, the world around us is more likely to change than we are. Step by step, one bit at a time, the nature of what we do may mutate. If we could jump back to a random day at the beginning of a long project, we would be startled by the glaring contrast. However, the change was so progressive that we didn’t notice. Suddenly, we’re doing something we don’t enjoy, so we struggle. The work is no longer fun, so we’re no longer good at it.

Regardless of the cause, the reality is we are not thriving. We could set out to change the world so it fits us, but it’s usually easier and faster to change how we inhabit it.