Seeking Mindful Hustling, Flow and Joy at 36.

I’ve spent a lot of time in Goa, Guatemala, and other “hippie” places, but I’ve never considered trying out ecstatic dancing. Due to my lack of coordination, I usually avoid going too far in the direction of alternative remedies.

However, that aversion suddenly gave way to curiosity a few weeks ago when traveling through Goa to catch up with a buddy. The next thing I knew, I was dancing outside beneath a canopy of trees and a few dimly visible stars. There was nothing to smoke and no booze. Simply music and a diverse group of people moving whatever the beat moved their bodies and minds.

At first, I was uneasy, but then I had a peculiar urge to move, hop, sway, shift, and fling up my head and hands. An odd summons to release whatever was fermenting inside.

I felt exhausted, hot, calm, and rejuvenated around two hours later as we laid on our backs and attempted to regain consciousness. I’ve been thinking about the thrilling experience of attempting something new throughout the days and minutes that have passed. When was the last time I let go of my inhibitions and gave myself over completely to that emotion?

I had an epiphany while I lay on that joyful dance floor, Orion gleaming gently through the trees overhead. I have solely concentrated on my professional development for the past three to four years. I had struggled with a sense of stagnation in the years preceding 2020. I was able to upskill and change my focus to teaching and consulting during the pandemic’s hiatus. It disturbed my own flow in addition to my stay in Chile. It filled me with worries that have prevented me from pursuing (dangerous) new experiences, which have been a crucial part of my formula for personal fulfillment, as much as I hate to admit it.

Re-evaluating my relationship with money

I believed I had money figured out in my twenties. It served as a means to a goal. It was a portal to the world, it flowed in and out, and it was intended to be shared.

However, that sensation has altered in recent years, and I’m not sure why. I always feel its awful pressure, even though I make a lot more money today than I did in my twenties. Spend less, share less, save more, and earn more. I have to sit down every time to analyze it and ask myself why. It wears you out.

Naturally, travel and the globe in general are much more costly now than they were in the past. Additionally, compared to before, I now prefer to seek out considerably more material luxuries.

Mourning but not fearing loss 

In Goa, I had some quite gloomy discussions with friends. Everyday friends, acquaintances, and family members have a lot going on in their life. Suicide, long-term health harm from COVID-19 or vaccines, deterioration of mental health, and accidents. It’s all so frightening that I find myself both grieving for the death of others and terrified of losing a loved one.

However, as a wise friend once observed, we must live our best lives in light of what we know. Although life is unpredictable, we cannot live in constant terror of what could occur. We must be aware while making the most of our time here on Earth by spending it with the people and things we love.

Mindful hustling 

I suppose I was hustling—that is, attempting a variety of methods to acquire money—long before I had heard the term. I didn’t think the hustle would ever end when I left my full-time job all those years ago. However, I’ve been sidetracked so many times that I have to remind myself that I don’t need to hustle just for the sake of hustling anymore.

A lot of things became clearer after reading Essentialism earlier this year. I don’t have to work on every artistic endeavor that appeals to me. I don’t have to seize every chance that presents itself. I now use effect, value, and delight as criteria to rank my daily tasks. How does it work?