#Storytime
I’m a content creator – so working with a steady wave of information and ideas is my normal. Except on one random Saturday, I woke up and didn’t want to do any work. I just felt like drawing. So I did just that and after a day of creating for the pure heck of it — I sat on my bed, legs crossed like a preschooler, looked at my computer and thought I love my life.
No – I don’t think you get it. I really felt that – like I love my life. And this was something special because I hadn’t felt this way after creating for some time.
I mean, creating for me had become all work and no joy. My creating was typically for The Smoking Prophet Blog + Podcast, or a client or some pro bono work. At this point, creating had stipulations attached to it, like deadlines and it honestly wasn’t fun anymore.
With this, I concluded that life is too short to not chase unicorns. Meaning everything in life can’t always be about learning something, your next goal, new gains, or even getting ahead. I learned that taking a moment to enjoy something that’s seemingly meaningless and doesn’t offer any material value is a necessary restorative practice.
Self-care for the spirit
Restorative practices like walking, hiking, meditating, coloring, hanging with your friends, your family, or doing whatever you enjoy may seem insignificant. It may seem like a waste of time, especially when you feel you have so much to do. But it isn’t time wasted because it can refresh you.
Life is too short not to chase unicorns
I’m reading a book on focus (The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan) In the interest of focus, the author writes “Life is too short to chase unicorns,” which is true for that.
But it made me think of this as a word of caution to the workaholics: “Life is too short NOT to chase unicorns.” I say that to point out that everything in our lives shouldn’t be serious and that the success driven should intentionally take a moment to enjoy a moment.
We can’t be so uptight and serious all the time. And the sum total of our lives shouldn’t revolve around work, planning, + doing. Because the core of your existence craves simple joys. You need this. Your friends will appreciate this. Your family will bear the fruit of this. The people you work with will benefit from it. And you will feel better + ultimately do whatever you do better.
Take a moment to enjoy a moment
So periodically chase unicorns – do something for absolutely no reason and that you feel serves no purpose.
Take a moment to enjoy a moment.
A moment with no defined goal, no established intent, and no obvious profit other than to help you appreciate your life. You will find that these moments will restore and refresh you the most. Then you too can sit back and see how much you love your life.
2 Comments
Anonymous · at
That’s so true, because often times we focus on the hustle and say to ourselves, “I’ll chill or vacay when I get where I got to get” .. Taking sometime to do things I that are fun pretty much, really gives you a detox of work and the pressure of life period.. Great post 👍.. I needed this and I know so many others do! God Bless🙏
Vivian Mary · at
This is a wonderful post! I read “The ONE thing” by Gary Keller last summer and I loved it. As I am working on self-care, supporting Health Care Professionals when it comes to their own needs in daily working life AND as I use the unicorn in my branding – me too was astonished to read about NOT chasing the unicorn. That’s why I found your great post, wanting to check the quote. YES, I totally agree, what a joy doing things without purpose, without planned benefits. Just for doing. For living. For being. All the best from Vivian