Inconveniences of everyday life

I’m currently reading “Four Thousand Weeks” by Oliver Burkeman.

It’s essentially an “anti-productivity” book, which argues that we as humans should not only acknowledge our very limited time on earth – but actually embrace that finitude. Because it frees us from the idea that we have to “get everything done”.

One passage that especially resonated with me this afternoon was the following:

Geoff Lye, an environmental consultant, once told me that after the sudden and premature death of his friend and colleague David Watson, he would find himself stuck in traffic, not clenching his fists in agitation, as per usual, but wondering: ‘What would David have given to be caught in this traffic jam?’ It was the same for queues in supermarkets and customer service lines that kept him on hold too long. Lye’s focus was no longer exclusively on what he was doing in such moments or what he’d rather be doing instead; now, he noticed also that he was doing it, with an upwelling of gratitude that took him by surprise.

What a powerful reframing!

So the next time I’m bothered by something seemingly unpleasant, I try to remember exactly this.

In the grand scheme of our lives, all those annoying inconveniences of everyday life shouldn’t bother us at all. We should instead be thankful, that we can feel this emotion right now. To have this irritating experience in the first place.

A very philosophical take. But one worth remembering when you miss your next train.

Webnotes

• Chris shared this post on his website.
• Marisabel did the same, here is her website.