The presenter of a TED talk I listened to postulated that the purpose of life is vitality, and the opposite of vitality is depression. I think that’s a goo distinction to make. Happiness and depression are not opposites. The opposite of happiness is sadness.
But vitality and depression? Those seem a good match.
I’ve had real difficulty for several weeks maintaining vitality and zest for things I’m doing. What used to get me excited no longer does. The things that should matter most to me don’t. I have little desire to do the things I know are important–they just seem like a drag and don’t have meaning except what society seems to believe they should.
It’s not a great place to be. I still get out of bed every morning. I still end up programming for several hours, but the vitality, the excitement, the desire to do those things is gone.
I’m seriously doing one of the coolest things a person could ever do. From a cognitive standpoint, I know that. But that doesn’t make it any better.
Vitality will return: it always does. This time I’ll try to track the things that change as it does, and see if I can use that as a pattern to bring vitality back more quickly.