HOW TO ENJOY LIFE 2
HOW TO ENJOY LIFE I think I enjoy life more so than other people. Why? And how? First of all, to be alive is a blessing. We didn t ask to be born, but now that we re alive we should enjoy life to the fullest maximum. 1. Make art The first step to enjoying life: make art. Art can be anything. Art can be your photography, painting, drawing, 3D sculpture, visualizations, dance, theater, music, standup comedy, improv comedy, the art of business, the art of conversation, or anything that requires your personal creativity. Make art everyday. The more you make art, the more you will enjoy life, and the more excited you will be. You will have the opportunity to continue learning about your art (by looking at art books, instructional books, attending workshops, experimenting, traveling). To feel true joy in life, we all need a sense of progress, and a feeling like we are growing, and evolving. 1
2. Dance I love music, and dancing. To me, dancing is one of the most primal instincts we have all children dance when they are introduced to a catchy beat or rhythm. The problem is that a lot of us are desocialized to dancing why? Because we are afraid of looking stupid, or being judged. Assignment: put on some nice music at home, and feel free to dance by yourself, with nobody else around. Taking it a step further dance with your partner, friends, or strangers at a club, or any dancing establishment, or even in public. 3. Share your joy To feel more joy in your life, share your life and joy with others. As humans, we are social creatures. To feel happier and feel more joy in life, we just be more social. To be social: Meeting other people to share our joy for our hobbies or passions. To teach what we know with others. To engage in the art of conversation with others. I enjoy life most when I am teaching and performing. I feel great joy in sharing what I know, and using this information to empower others. Assignment: teach a free class, workshop, or even make a YouTube video sharing your knowledge with others. 4. Count your blessings A life full of accomplishments without counting your blessings is a truly sad life. To feel joy in life, we must acknowledge, and appreciate our blessings and 2
accomplishments. For example, I always count my blessings with Cindy before we sleep. In bed, I will ask Cindy, Cindy, what was your favorite things from today? I also on my own count my own blessings. When I drink my morning cup of coffee, I smile, smell the freshly ground beans, and count that blessing. I count my blessing of being born in America, and knowing English (the international language). I count my blessings for my physical health, and I also count my blessings of the difficulties I faced in life. I count the difficulties I had in life as a blessing. Why? The difficult parts of my life is what made me stronger. I count my scars and find beauty in the pain and suffering in my life. Why? What didn t kill me, only made me stronger. 5. Novelty I also think to enjoy life, we need novelty, variation, chance, and randomness. If you had 100% the same routine everyday for the rest of your life, you would be miserable and bored to death. I think the secret is to have some routine and predictability in some parts, and some variation in other parts of life. For example, I wear the same all black outfit everyday. I drink the same espresso everyday. My diet is mostly the same, I eat mostly meat and veggies. Everyday I also make videos, and write. But I add variety by reading new books, variety by looking at new photos. Cindy and I like to frequent the same restaurants, but if we do we will make sure to order new dishes. Or we will try out new restaurants or coffee shops. 3
6. Not getting too comfortable Also, I think avoiding comfort is a key to enjoying life. Life that is too easy, has no challenges, or no difficulty is boring. For example, I only have fun in the gym when I challenge my muscles, to try to lift heavier weights. Photography is only fun when I challenge myself, to make more dynamic and innovative compositions. My personal studies on philosophy are only fun, if I strive to deepen my thoughts, to add more complexity to my thinking, yet while also simplifying some ideas. Comfort is the road to waste. 7. Realize life will never be perfect The last thing to truly enjoy life, I think we must accept and acknowledge that life will never be 100% perfect. Regardless of the pain, difficulty, or suffering in our lives we can still feel joy. That s the secret. If anything, if we felt 100% infallible happiness without any pain or difficulty what would differentiate us from a rock? To be human is to feel the full gamut of emotions anger, fear, depression, joy, excitement, and surprise. I also think that emotions are all relative and contrast: Without pain we cannot feel pleasure Without hunger, we cannot enjoy the taste of food Without suffering in life, we cannot feel true joy. 4
So friend, always count your blessings, seek to make art, and know that no matter what happens in your life you can always interpret it in a positive way. Whenever life gives you shit, figure out how you can turn it into gold. Always turn any potential disadvantages into a benefit. Memento mori: realize one day you will die, so enjoy every day like it were your last. Smile, ERIC PHILOSOPHY > 5