We hear that whatever decade of life we are in (20s, 30s, 40s,...) is supposed to be the best time of our lives. We are supposed to live it up right now, because later we will just get tied down by work, bills, family, declining health.

At the same time, we are supposed to be hustling hard to secure a perfect future.

This is an ironic trap: the external pressure to have the best time ruins the actual time we have.

All this does is make us perpetually anxious.

There is a quieter way: replacing expectations with ordinary experience.

• Expectations: Thinking today needs to be a blockbuster movie... if it is just a normal Tuesday, we feel like we are failing.

• Ordinary experience: Bringing our full attention to right now... to find joy in a regular walk, a quiet chat with a friend, sipping a cup of tea, or just doing our work.

When we stop comparing our life to a highlight reel, we get to engage with the real world that we belong to. That's how we get to do our best work -- consistently.

What is one completely ordinary thing you can pay full attention to today?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Presently,
/rajesh