I have spent most of my life believing I did not have what I wanted.
Getting frustrated. And running here and there in search for something.
A certain role, a certain relationship, a certain recognition.
Recently I have found myself writing down my ideal day.
What it would have looked like. What I would have done. Who I would have met.
I was in one of those dark, candle lit bars typical of East Berlin.
I took my notebook, bought a beer and started writing.
Words were flowing from my pen, without even thinking about it.
It was like magic.
But what was even more magic is what I realised days after, reading that piece of paper again.
In my ideal day, I was in a city very similar to Berlin.
I was living in a bright flat similar to the one where I spend most of my days.
I was going out for walks in the morning, admiring the way life was flowing and people were starting their day.
I was writing. I was using my articles as a way to start conversations with people. I was combining knowledge of psychology, management and philosophy.
In that moment, the real magic happened.
I realised that I was experiencing my ideal day in that same moment.
That a lot of my frustrations were unjustified. And that I had what I wanted.
My mind stopped. I smiled.
And my heart melted.
Alan Watts says that there are two reasons why people are unhappy.
One is that they cannot know what they want. The second one is that they have it already.
So I have a humble suggestion for you.
When you feel discouraged, because you feel you are not getting enough from life, ask yourself:
“What if I already have what I wanted?”
Your perspective will shift.
You will compare yourself to where you were before.
Not to others, with their different lives, backgrounds and struggles.
And you might find out that you are in a much better place than you thought you were.
Give yourself this chance.
You won’t regret it.
Have a good (sincere) journey,
—Livio
14/02/2021
powerful and informative work here
Excellent, one of my favorite articles.