Joy Is Cheap

Just wanted to pop off a quick note this morning as I felt my morning coffee hit and break a 44 hour fast.

I watched a documentary on elk migration this weekend and figured if the elk can fast while they climb over a mountain pass, it ain’t too much for me to drop food for a day or two. 

 

Some people report that fasting makes ‘em sharper.  Not me.  Fasting is mainly boring with a side of cravings.  It takes me out of my comfort zone, and in this age of exceptional comfort (wearing mountaineering jackets to a coffee shop!) I’m convinced that regularly seeking uncomfort is necessary for my sanity.

I do love one side of fasting, and that is the incredible clarity it gives me regarding what is actually important and a source of joy in my life:  Food.  I love food.  I love making it, I love eating it, hell, I even love cleaning the dishes.

We tend to think that joy comes when we have more or better material goods like a cabin in Wyoming or a shiny old E-type Jaguar. 

I’m not going to tell you those aren’t joyful experiences, but I will submit this idea:

If you were to watch the joy centers of your brain in an fMRI scanner as you first slid into the leather seats of a 1968 XKE or when you had the first bite of food while sitting down to share a meal with friends, I don’t think you’d be able to tell the difference.

One costs around $100,000 in mint condition, and the other is usually well under $40.

It’s just a reminder that joy and money don’t have a fixed relationship.  There’s no “joy” difference between a monk meditating in ecstasy in a mountain cave or flying your biplane across the Serengeti or sharing an amazing meal with friends.

Joy is joy, and you can have it whenever you decide to create joyful conditions.  Get some!

Ok, I’m off to stock the office up on Paleo Treats and help ship out a ton of boxes today, hope you have a rad week and find joy at every meal.

To life!

Nik@PT

• The 3i Problem, or how to avoid joy-blockers.
• Lessons from 2015
• An Incredible Race:  The Joy Of The Olympics
• You Forgot To Think?

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