Trivial Pursuits

“It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?” — Henry David Thoreau

The Obstacle

We pursue the trivial.

Chase things that don’t matter.
Spend time on inconsequential tasks.
Get bogged down by details with no real return.

We argue to be right.
Want the best idea.
Demand things done our way.
Seek perfection in ourselves and others.
Worry about all the ways things could go wrong.

We dig a thousand shallow wells and never hit water.
Stare into our phones.
Scroll and scroll.
Endlessly look for media options.
Digest dreadful and divisive news.

In conversation, we miss what matters.
Focusing on flaws in logic instead of meaning.
Solving problems without understanding feelings or intentions.
We correct instead of connect.

It feels productive.

It is not…

The Gift and Opportunity

We can choose our pursuit.

We can pursue philosophy — the love of wisdom.
Invest our time and attention where the return is greatest.
Choose curiosity over certainty.
Seek understanding in conflict instead of victory.

We can allow the ideas of others to add to our own.
Accept that people do not need to be perfect (that means us too).

We can turn over control and trust others.
Say no to what does not serve our time, energy, or direction.
Stop paralyzing ourselves by worrying about everything that could go wrong.

We can stay with a task long enough to see it through.
Listen to understand feelings and intentions before trying to fix anything (this one alone will change your life).

What we pursue shapes who we become and the quality of our lives.

The Practice of Self-Mastery

• Notice where attention is being spent — is it meaningful or trivial

• Redirect effort toward what carries real weight and return

• Choose curiosity and understanding

• Commit to fewer things and stay with them long enough to go deep

  CHEAT CODE
  PAUSE → ASK IF THIS IS A TRIVIAL PURSUIT → PURSUE WHAT MATTERS