Dive in, drift away, enjoy the process

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In Irvin Yalom’s book “The Gift of Therapy”, his insights on purpose in life are inspiring (listen here on spotify: ch 44). The Buddha instructs to immerse oneself into the river of life, and let the question of purpose drift away. Schopenhauer warns against simply wishing for something in the future. Instead, complete small tasks confidently, inch-by-inch.
Being engaged in the process towards future goals brings fulfilling Eudaimonia. Then you-don’t-moan-anymore, as you are living The Good Life.
The enjoyment of working towards your goals is the river to follow. However, don’t expect the end goal to bring happiness, as the high of reaching your goal won’t last. Russ Harris in “The Happiness Trap”, concurs (ch 4).

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2 responses to “Dive in, drift away, enjoy the process”

  1. Geoff T Avatar
    Geoff T

    I found this related linked-in discussion:
    https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7320360451190497280?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7320360451190497280%2C7320360554819141632%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287320360554819141632%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7320360451190497280%29

    🌊 The best surfers — and the best founders — know:
    You can’t force the ocean.
    You can’t force life.
    You wait. You listen. You stay ready.
    I’d love to hear from you:
    What’s one principle or practice that’s helped you stay true while building?
    (Could be a ritual, a mindset shift, or a moment you’ll never forget.)

    [ Milo Guastamacchia ]

  2. Geoff T Avatar
    Geoff T

    Irving Yalom’s concurs with Jung that a huge proportion of his clients are seeking meaning and purpose in life (MPL). Yalom’s advice is to approach the topic from a sideways, oblique angle, rather than tackling it head-on. This is how MPL differs from most other reasons people come to therapy, because for MPL there isn’t a syllabus to follow. Yalom observes that for topics like bereavement, addiction and relationship issues it is best to focus on targeted efforts to fix the underlying cause of distress; whereas finding your “calling” or meaning in life is more illusory and can’t be forced.

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