“If we are ever to enjoy life, now is the time, not tomorrow or next year.” -Thomas Dreier
Have you ever formed an insight about yourself that seems completely obvious in retrospect? I had one of those realizations not too long ago.
I woke up to the sound of raindrops dancing on my window pain. I’ve always said that I dislike the rain, because my mood often dims when the sky turns gray. But on this particular day, the rain seemed beautiful.
As I sat in my home office (read: the two feet behind my couch) writing and editing, the rain became a soothing companion, as well as a perfectly valid reason to not be outside.
On every other day, the Los Angeles sun calls to me, tempting me to abandon my laptop to enjoy the bright outdoors.
That day, without the distraction of gorgeous weather, I found myself far more productive than usual.
Right then I realized I always feel more satisfied with my work when I work with my preferences, not against them. And I prefer to be outside when it’s sunny. So I’ve now been making a conscious effort to write by hand in parks and outdoor cafes. Obviously I can’t do all my work this way—but what’s important is that I can do some.
I realize we all have different obligations and options, but for each of us, there are options. Some of them will work with our temperaments and likes, and others will engender internal resistance. Perhaps the key to loving what we do is not just enjoying the work itself, but to also paying attention to how we choose to do it.
That might mean putting fresh flowers on your desk because they make you happy. Or having a meeting over coffee because it gets you out of the office. Or keeping your iPod handy so you can work to your favorite music.
Life will inevitably involve a lot of things that we can’t control. Why not make the proactive choice to enjoy as much as we can?
Photo by 7ino
About Lori Deschene
Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha. She started the site after struggling with depression, bulimia, c-PTSD, and toxic shame so she could recycle her former pain into something useful and inspire others to do the same. You can find her books, including Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal and Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal, here and learn more about her eCourse, Recreate Your Life Story, if you’re ready to transform your life and become the person you want to be.
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Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine. 
[…] we are ever to enjoy life, now is the time, not tomorrow or next year.” -Thomas Dreier Image # 34. Tiny Wisdom: Enjoying How We […]
This is so true! I quit my corporate job in May to do my own thing and have been experimenting with how I work best on my own. Somedays I sit inside my house far too long and my mind wanders to a place of unproductivity so I challenge myself to get out because apparently, I need human activity around me, lol.
Window pane . That’s what it should be. A well written article .
Beautiful article!!! I’m definately living my life with more gratitude these days and it has made me a happier person, I do not look at my problems as obsatacles any more but learning curves which will eventually come to an end, its just when that I can’t seem to figure out…
Great post, Lori. While we can’t always choose everything about our work environment, it makes sense to take responsibility for choosing (and changing, if necessary) whatever aspects we can control.
One of my dafter preferences involves pretty much having hot tea on tap – this may sound crazy, but I’ve actually chosen not to take jobs or temp assignments before because the company culture didn’t allow employees to eat or drink at their desks!
I love what you wrote as seeing your problems as learning curves. That always helps me, too!
Me, too Jen! I think it makes such a difference to feel like part of the world, not separated from it.