Humans can’t survive without meaning.
But finding meaning is overrated. Creating meaning is the real super power.
I used to take the rationalist approach to things like holidays, rituals, or special occasions. Why should any day have more value or good fortune than another? Seemed stupid to make some sun cycles more special than others and get all worked up about it.
Now I have a more useful approach. Special days and rituals do have meaning if I choose to give it to them. It’s like a power boost in my back pocket. I can create meaning in days that others already find special, or brand new ones. Rather than deny or decry the power of special occasions, I can use them playfully to have a better life.
Whether or not it’s a necessary or objective part of reality, humans think in cycles and seasons, and narratize these to give some more meaning than others. There’s a rhythm to it. On days, off days, and training days. We can let the meaning be imposed on us, or we can choose our own rhythmic calendar. We can work with or against the forces of nature. Both can be useful.
Rather than trying to discover where you are in someone else’s story, you can decide where you want to be in your own. This is powerful stuff.
Today, I’m starting a new notepad. The other one got full and I scanned it for anything I wanted to keep, then threw it away. Today, I crack the blank pages of a new place to sketch ideas and to-dos. I think I’m going to choose to make today a momentous day; the beginning of a new season of life. A new notebook will mark a new level.
A created this post to mark the occasion.
(See how it works! It’s fun!)