Enjoyment is also an option

I am of the belief that our society’s veneration of haste has ruined our ability to enjoy things. Let me explain.

I often receive questions about “how long” it took in order for me to achieve my level of pole and I am always hesitant to answer. The reason for this is that I understand that this question does not exist in a vacuum. Rather is a product of a kind of input output mechanism that we have internalized in a society that prioritizes efficiency over experience. However in this prioritization, there is a grave loss, and that is the ability to exist in the intermediate, that liminal space between beginning and “getting there.” Wherever there is.

I understand the impetus to find the magic formula as we live in a culture of instant gratification and are inundated with images of what we define as being successful. But it is so important to remember that no one started at that level. No one starts as an expert. Ever. And while this is known on an intellectual level, the searing pang of comparison can be difficult to escape amid the highlight reels of social media.

But what of enjoyment? I feel this is an important piece of any journey when pursuing a new endeavor. This pressure to “be good” at something on the first try is a fallacy that erodes our ability to engage in something just for fun. Sure, your hobby can always grow, be cultivated, and monetized, but enjoyment is also an option. Allowing the journey to unfold not by some arbitrary timeline, but instead slowly and by your own feeling is perfectly fine.

I often think about how much inspiration and connection Instagram has brought, however, with it, comes the scourge of comparison. Also known as, the thief of joy. So enmeshed has our existence become with the algorithm that we have started to internalize the feeling of being percieved at every turn, and placing ourselves under constant scrutiny. For who? For what? For why?

Enjoyment is also an option. Dare I say, enjoyment must be at the core of one’s pursuits.

Proceed accordingly.