The Quiet Life

When I lived in Boston, I would often feel this frenetic energy inside. I felt it most when I was running around, making phone calls, writing emails, staying up late working, and balancing too many of projects in too little time.

It was kind of a good feeling - a sort of high that kept me running at a breakneck pace. The adrenaline and momentum allowed me to juggle lots of projects all at once, and because I was working so hard, I felt like I was really going somewhere.

I don’t seek out that frenetic feeling so much now. I prefer to be quiet, to get rid of the things in my life that aren’t central to who I am, so that I can really be present with and focus on the things that are central. I think it’s a smarter way to go somewhere - more direct and less stressful.

I’ve also learned not to be a hero. Not to equate my success or self-worth with what I do, how much I work, how busy I am. I’m starting to learn how to set boundaries with screen time and even bass time. By keeping my true goals in mind, I can work less while gaining more ground.

Don’t worry - I’m not perfect at it. I still get carried away with projects and spend too much time on social media and let my mind get carried away thinking about work all the time. But I’m still walking down the path, getting up when I stumble, trying to be peaceful in the journey.