longer.blue

We were lied to about fun. We were taught that fun is what happens when the work stops. Sit down. Turn your brain off. Consume something. Distract yourself until it’s time to go to bed. But the most fun I’ve ever had has been coaching someone and watching something click. Writing for hours because I have an idea I need to get out. Speaking to a room. Walking up to a stranger, taking a social risk, and trying to make them laugh. That’s hard. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable. And it makes me feel alive. A lot of what people call fun is just numbing. You repeat a habit because you’re bored, and afterward you’re still bored. You haven’t created anything, connected with anyone, or done something you’re proud of. I’m not saying you can never relax. I’m saying pay attention to how you feel afterward. Did that make your life richer, or did it help you avoid your life for a few hours? For me, real fun is being fully in it. Helping people. Creating. Working on something I care about. Putting myself out there and seeing what happens. Numbing yourself isn’t fun. Living is fun.