May the world fade away

Larah Ritchie wrote this · Share your thoughts in the 7

Do you remember when I told you how life balance is a big fat dangerous lie?

Do you remember when I suggest we’d all be happier and less frantic and less ready to punch someone…anyone…if we strived instead to live well-blended life?

Well, today, I’m reading this awesome, amazing book called Evil Plans: Having Fun on the Road to World Domination by the awesome, amazing Hugh MacLeod. Here’s the link to his awesome, amazing post about the book. And here’s a link to buy it on Amazon because ohmygawd why aren’t reading it yet?!

(Yes, that’s an affiliate link. Which means if ten of you go buy the book, I can get myself a pack of gum. Or a new Sharpie. How cool is that?!)

Soooo….as I was saying….in the book, Hugh…I’m gonna call him Hugh because we should totally be best friends…calls this well-blended thing “unifying work & love.”

Meaning, doing both at the same time. Now you’re probably asking, “If I do that….does that mean I’ll finally have balance in my life?” (Because being constantly bombarded by the message that we’re supposed to be looking for balance is really f**king hard to ignore.)

But, no.

Living a well-blended life….unifying your work & love….will not bring you balance. Here’s why I don’t care:

Imagine you’re standing on a ball.

The only way to maintain your balance is to stand still. To stop.moving.entirely. Don’t breathe. Don’t look around. Don’t effin’ move a muscle. Yay! You’re balanced!

Isn’t that fan-freakin-tastic?

No. It sucks. Eventually you need to breathe or you will die.

You don’t want balance.

I promise.

You want immersion.

Fully present, no apologies, immersion.

You want to be singing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs-with-your-eyes-closed deep into living life.

*Insert obligatory analogy here* (because I can’t help myself)

A fire that burns hot and intensely will consume itself and die.

A fire that alternates between the fast burn and the slow ember, can be sustained indefinitely.

But to keep it burning, you must protect the ember and keep it glowing.

*Insert painfully clear explain about what in the fritos that analogy has to do with anything here* (because sometimes my analogies can be a little cryptic and I really, really want you to get this. Really.)

When you work, you want to embrace those times when you get so in tuned with a project or an idea or a piece that you lose all sense of time and space. That you forget to sleep or eat. That the world around you fades away in a muffled blur.

You want to embrace the days where work just flows. Easily. Simply.

And you need to realize that some days, you’ll struggle just to protect the ember. To keep it glowing.

You need all three of these stages to create a business that be sustainable while it fuels your passion.

Conversely…

When you spend time with the people you love, you want to embrace those times when you get so in tuned with a game or an outing or an activity that you lose all sense of time and space. That you forget to go to bed or cook dinner. That the world around you fades away in a muffled blur.

You want to embrace the days where life just flows. Easily. Simply.

And you need to realize that some days, you’ll struggle just to protect the ember. To keep it glowing.

You need all three of these stages to create a life that will be sustainable while it feeds your heart.

This is a well-blended life.

It’s not balance because balance totally sucks. This is what it means to be fully immersed in a life you love.