The art of doing nothing special
An excerpt from 'Tuesdays with Morrie' / 5 min read
Unlock the Insights That Changed My Life
Each week, I share a glimpse of my ideas and perspectives on life in short 5-minute emails. But there’s so much more depth to explore.
This week’s newsletter is a bit different…
Let me know if you guys would like more of these - I’m easing myself into reading fiction, and just finished reading Tuesdays with Morrie this week.
My plan is to share excerpts that move me and reflect on them, while giving you space to do the same.
An excerpt from Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Morrie was days away from dying of ALS, and one of his favourite students, who made it a tradition to come visit him every Tuesday in his final months, posed an intriguing question to him as he lay on his deathbed…
What if you had one day perfectly healthy, I asked?
What would you do?
“Twenty-four hours?”
Twenty-four hours.
“Let’s see… I’d get up in the morning, do my exercises, have a lovely breakfast of sweet rolls and tea, go for a swim, then have my friends come over for a nice lunch. I’d have them come one or two at a time so we could talk about their families, their issues, talk about how much we mean to each other.
“Then I’d like to go for a walk, in a garden with some trees, watch their colours, watch the birds, take in the nature that I haven’t seen for so long now.
“In the evening, we’d all go together to a restaurant with some great pasta, maybe some duck - I love duck - and then we’d dance the rest of the night. I’d dance with all the wonderful dance partners out there, until I was exhausted. And then I’d go home and have a deep, wonderful sleep.”
That’s it?
“That’s it.”
It was so simple. So average. I was actually a little disappointed. I figured he’d fly to Italy or have lunch with the President or romp on the seashore or try every exotic thing he could think of. After all these months, lying there, unable to move a leg or a foot - how could he find perfection in such an average day?
Then I realized this was the whole point.
Reflection
This part really struck me — because like Morrie, I’ve always felt drawn to the quieter, simpler things in life. And sometimes, I’ve felt guilty for it.
For not wanting the high-status job.
For not striving to be the best at something.
For not desiring a calendar filled with thrilling activities.
For not being excited about big birthday celebrations.
And this pattern seems to seep its way into every part of my life.
One that comes to mind is when I went to a comedy show - Daniel Sloss, one of my favourites. After the show, he waited at the entrance to meet people (for free). I stood there feeling like I should want to meet him… but I didn’t. Not really. And I couldn’t explain why.
But now I think I can. My mind was just resisting the “should” - pushing back against the pressure to want more.
But reading this helped me feel more okay, more at peace, with how I am.
That it’s not just okay, but beautiful and meaningful to be amazed by the mundane, by the average -
To set the bar for happiness so low, that you almost have no choice but to feel content.
To feel fulfilled at the end of a week when all I did was work and spend quiet, uninterrupted time with my wife.
To find joy in a simple catch-up with a friend at home, talking about life over drinks.
To happily wander through a shopping centre, even when I don’t have the money to buy anything.
To go on the same evening walk through town with my wife - same route, same rhythm, with no real destination besides the rambling conversations about our dreams.
To cook a tasty dinner for my friends and eat it with them as we share our stories and struggles.
All of it - unremarkable on the outside - but quietly perfect on the inside.
Maybe it’s not a problem to not just be amazed by, but crave the mundane.
Maybe, that’s the whole point.
PS: None of this is to say that I don’t want great and exciting things in life. I do.
It’s less about the want of things and more about the joy of having -
Of seeing your life as full with what you have, with everything else just being a bonus on top of it.
At least that’s the way I see it.
How about you?
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Currently Consuming:
Pods
Books
Mitch Albom’s “Tuesdays with Morrie”
Rory Sutherland’s “Alchemy”
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