#6 Play with joy, work with joy.
"Play with joy, work with joy, live with joy. Not fear…"
These were the words Berlin directed to his brother The Professor in Money Heist. I liked some of the core ideas of the series. In particular the dynamic between the brothers. They represented the eternal clash and synergy between raw emotions and calculative rationality. The Professor was the brain, Berlin the heart. The brain believed he can plan for every eventuality, the heart was ready to embrace life and chaos.
I reflected on the silent war that was going on inside me. My heart against my mind. After shutting my previous company I was facing my first existential crisis.
Could I have prevented failure if I had learned more, and taken more rational decisions? Could the mind be right? Can I plan every eventuality and take control of my life? I felt a void and chaos around me. What I wanted was for the pain to stop.?
What escaped my mind was that the heart didn't wanna take part in this. The two brothers were clashing head to chest. I was torn which one to side with. The mind promised certainty. A soothing sense of control, order, and clarity. Just like in a strategy game to look at the entire map, resources, and options and execute.
I was sold I sided with my mind. I gave him total control and full authority over my life For 3 years he was the boss — planning, tracking, and measuring. Life was sliced and packed in schedules, task lists, and spreadsheets. But I was still unhappy. Still feeling empty. Still searching for meaning.
"Play with joy, work with joy, live with joy. Not fear. Don’t think about everything that can go wrong. Enjoy. Dance while playing…"
Berlin continued. My heart listened. My mind kept quiet.
"…Don’t think about everything that can go wrong. Enjoy. Dance while playing. One day something will go wrong and you wouldn’t be able to predict that day. Will I be guilty of not having thought about it? Life is here. Enjoy until the party is over."
My heart turned to me "Tell me. On your dead bed, are you going to look back and see your task list? Will you say to yourself "I completed ALL the tasks. I lived my life to its utmost efficiency. I met all my deadlines. And not a single minute was wasted. Will you be happy then?"
I kept silent. I knew the answer.
Life is here. I remind myself daily of that. The bounty of life is in the small moments of spontaneity. An unplanned coffee with a friend, a surprise encounter with a stranger. An impromptu dance with my wife.
Once again my heart took the reigns. Balance was restored.
Thank you for reading this far. This article is part of the series?"33 things I learned turning 33".