I recently came across a quote from author, E.B. White, where he said:
“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.”
― E. B. White
The tension he articulates is palpable. I feel it, do you?
For anyone trying to do a bit more good in this world, whether it is through your work, volunteering, mentoring, donating, etc, that road is not without challenges.
Questions often arise such as: Am I doing enough? Am I really making a difference? Is this worth my time and energy? How can I do more with limited time, energy, and money?
And in today’s comparative culture, the ability to savor the world is challenging, too.
There is a facade (thanks social media) that someone is always traveling more, more meditative, more of a Yogi, more calm, fit, happy, successful, than you or me. We fundamentally know this not to be true, but we often forget how much it is constantly shown to us and affecting our psyche and subconscious. (See our: Constantly Comparing Ourselves to Ohters post)
Fundamentally, E.B.’s quote rings true: it is hard to do both and plan our time.
But fortunately we live in a time where more and more people are finding ways to do both and encouraging others along the way.
A Potential Path Forward
More now than any point in history there are jobs where every day you are contributing to pushing society forward in positive ways.
There are more volunteer opportunities, more charities to donate to, more organizations to volunteer with, and more campaigns to fund.
Notice a trend here? More. And more is not always the answer...
This creates a tension of where to engage, a feeling of never doing enough, a feeling of impatience, and a feeling of inadequacy. (‘Ugh, if I could ONLY donate to ALL the causes…’)
So, what can we do to alleviate this tension?
I’ve found focusing on three areas has helped me navigate this tension between saving and savoring the world:
Practicing Patience: slowing down, telling myself I am on the right path, and doing more takes time.
Practicing Gratitude: a daily habit of writing down three things I’m grateful for has helped practice patience and perspective.
Focus: implementing rules and using tools to focus on the task at hand - reading the news less, using social media more intentionally.
They’re not perfect solutions, but they are helpful.
What tips or practices do you utilize to help alleviate the tension between savoring and saving the world?
Drop them in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!
Grateful to have you here.
Zach
It's hard to both savor and save the world.
Definitely feel this same tension. One of the ways I’ve learned to live and love in a world that needs so much improvement is to 1) recognize that one person (me or anyone) can’t do everything, and 2) consciously choose the ways I will make a big, long-term impact and the ways I can make a daily impact (how I live, including how open I am to chance opportunities to serve and help others). I know I can always do better, but at least I know that directionally I’m on the right track if I keep showing up and building.
Great article, Zach. I think my answer and yours are not far from each other.