How to Rekindle a Zest for Life
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Because who wants to live a mundane, dull, uninspired existence?
Remember when you were a kid? Everything in the world was fascinating and new. A walk in the backyard was an epic adventure.
Every stuffed animal or action figure had its own name and personality. Life was like a psychedelic trip — colorful and imaginative and full of novelty at every turn.
Children are inherently creative. They are all unabashed artists, until of course, some outside force (typically the voice of well-meaning adults) tells them that art is not a profitable skill or that they will never be a professional dancer or sports star.
So they stash away their creative longings for silly games at recess and are pushed to focus on the supposedly more practical skills for growing into a contributing member of society.
Death by Mundanity
As we grow up, that zest for life — that je ne sais quoi of an inspired existence — is muted and dulled by jobs, obligations, mundane routines, and the so-called “logic” of adult society. It becomes the same thing over and over and over again.
“Some people die at twenty five and aren’t buried until they are seventy five.” -Benjamin Franklin
How many “dead” people do you know? There is no vibrant light in their eyes. They never take on new challenges. They have no projects or hobbies that excite them.
When you ask how they’re doing or what they’ve been up to, it’s always the same answer. They’ll gladly complain about the mundanity of their boring existence. But year after year, they hardly grow or change at all.
Sure, they are alive scientifically. Their heart beats and they breathe and talk and walk. But there is little enthusiasm or purpose behind what they are doing. The fire of their soul has dwindled or extinguished.
Thankfully, all fires can be rebuilt with a few sticks and a match.
