Everyone's a Little Bit Shiftless.

Recently I went to see a production of the fabulous Tony-award winning musical, Avenue Q, with the Guy. All I knew going in was “dirty puppets” but came away in awe. I felt more than a little implicated, since I embody the protagonist – a young twenty-something with a BA in English, living on her own in the city, trying to navigate friends, relationships and yes – my purpose in life. And of course, it made me think of this blog and the financial escalators that weave throughout those journeys.

The basic conclusion at the end of Avenue Q: feel better, no one has found purpose in life! Just like the musical’s hit song “Everyone’s a little bit racist,” they could have ended with “Everyone’s a little bit shiftless.” While everyone is all smiles at the end of the puppet play, this just makes me feel worse. I can admit the truth of the whole schadenfreude thing. When I look at the plight of Gary Coleman, or other pf bloggers who are farther behind than I am, I can sometimes be cheered up. Hey, I don’t have it so bad. But I will admit – there are times when I cannot blog away the depression of looking at my tiny little bank account. Or working in a job that doesn’t truly fulfill me, when I could be writing. We live in a consumer-driven world, and nice things aren’t just luxuries sometimes. Sometimes, they get wrapped up into our purpose. [How can you not afford the restaurant when you’re a foodie? Or the concert when you’re the music girl?? etc.]

In order to deal with this, I’m countering Avenue Q with a bit of positive psychology. I took a course in college on happiness, which I thought was a total crock back then. But now I’m surprised at the amount of time I’ve spent thinking back on these principles of thinking positively and trying to be a happier person (really).

1. Give yourself permission to be human.
2. Pursue the intersection of pleasure and meaning. When that isn’t possible, use happiness boosters to tide you over until you can find this place.
3. Focus on the positive.
4. Simplify.
5. Regular exercise / healthy eating / sufficient sleep.
6. Express gratitude whenever possible.