The Choice of Happiness

I had brunch here at the Da Men Mall (no called EasyHome Mall) with a friend earlier today. The Coffee Bean outlet here is another one of my favourite places to work. I'm trying to vary the type of work I do throughout the week. Today is specifically for writing, as I've been spending the whole week coding.

I'm also being a bit selective about the type of projects that I get involved in these days, as I could easily get sucked into another rabbit hole that'll take me years to emerge from. Since there's no need for me to 'achieve' anything, I'm in no hurry to get myself too busy. I'll just chug along casually, at my own pace, doing projects I want to do as long as I get to learn something in the process.

Learning is one of the greatest pleasures of life. Every day, I reap some benefits from the work I put in. Treating work this way yields an immediate payoff. You become wiser today than you were yesterday.

These days, I am also taking my time to read slowly. I'm in no hurry to finish a book. Sometimes a reasonably technical book takes me more than two months to complete. But that's alright. A book is like a meal; you roll every word and sentence in your tongue, until you've fully savoured its flavour and essence. The idea it contains is the nutrient that further nourishes your brain.

Reading, coding, writing and learning appear to be what I spend most of my time doing. And I'm happy with that. These days, I'm also trying to insert some play into the mix; my choice of play is not computer games but music. I'm glad that my Casio digital piano is fully functioning again. Most of its keys were dead, and I was afraid that I could not get them fixed as it is almost two decades old. With some difficulty, I transported it to the service centre in Segambut, and thankfully, they still have spare parts for it. The keyboard feels brand new now.  Being able to play my favourite Chopin waltzes on my piano makes me enormously happy, even though I can only play the easy passages. I will take my time to practice the more difficult ones. 

Because time is precious, I'm also very selective about the online content I consume.  I resist the temptation to doomscroll on my phone. Cyberspace these days is littered with clickbait and AI slop.  It takes a lot of skill and awareness to avoid stepping into any of these time sinks. 

When you have full control over your time, routines are very important in getting your days on track. I feel really fortunate being able to incorporate some exercise into my daily routine. This comes in the form of early-morning walks in the park, where I also get a chance to catch up with my favourite podcasts.  

Today, I have a happy problem to mull over: I just finished reading a very long and technical book, and I'm trying to decide what to read next. Sometimes I take interludes--going for a short and easy read, before diving into another serious tome. I also have a couple of fictions, which I want to enjoy.  I guess I'm entitled to that. A novella might be a good idea. 

Whatever it is, I will take my time. I'm in no hurry. Happiness is having the time and privilege to choose your own pleasures.