The older I am, the more I feel that no one will ever be free from trouble, care, desire, and doubts.
I wrote this text on the 15th of September, 2024. It was a typical Sunday for me. From my weekend activities, I did one of the most crucial for me: walking (rucking, a form of walking with a heavy load) and doing street photography. I wandered through Warsaw’s streets in a modest mood. The truth is that I was not too happy or too sad. I would say I was glad I was alive. After all, I felt an additional ten kilograms (22 lbs) of barbell plates in my rucksack, and I felt endorphins buzzing in my blood. Rucking, the act of walking with a heavy load, is a form of exercise that I find both physically and mentally stimulating.
As I walked, I was enveloped in a sense of profound gratitude for the simple act of being alive, for the ability to experience the world around me.
It was a moment of pure, unadulterated joy. When I felt it, I started to wonder why we could not always be happy. Why can we not stop time at the precise moments of our lives when happiness is at its peak, and enjoy the rest of our lives freely without any worries and trouble? I cannot provide answers to my questions. Still, I can easily imagine that such a life, with all the people smiling all the time, would be a nightmare. Undoubtedly, to appreciate the happy moments of our lives, we should also experience the worst ones. Life without trouble, cares, desires, and doubts is impossible, and I love that!
Acceptance is key.
We are humans, not gods or demigods. I cannot imagine being always content and stress-free. Such a state is not a destiny because it is simply impossible to reach. Of course, we should always try to maximize the state of happiness and minimize sadness. Still, it is a Sisyphean task, a reference to the Greek myth of Sisyphus, who was condemned to roll a boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, repeating this action for eternity. Accept your lousy moods, my Dear Friend, and do not fight with them. They are and will be inseparable parts of our lives. Remember, it is also impossible to get rid of the problems and troubles in your life. Even if you overcome some of them, it is a matter of time that new ones will arise.
