Thirty Day LA

Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities. -- Aldous Huxley, Vendeta for the Western World, 1945

We live in difficult, cynical times. Flooded by images of war, firecrotches, wanton adultery, fake celebrity babies, and angry minorities, it’s very easy to get caught up in the unhappiness of it all. As bad as it is now, I wonder if for me, this is as good as it gets. I have a decent-paying job, good health, and plenty of free time. I could be off fighting in a war or be unemployed or in jail. Even worse, I could be married with three annoying kids, an unstimulated wife, and a 30-year mortgage. So while I didn’t make any progress over this past month towards the inevitable hell that awaits me, I did gain something far more valuable: a sense of optimism.

I’ve spent far too long cruising through my narrow lanes of unhappiness. It’s not because I’m depressed all the time or I like being unhappy, it’s because I’m idle. I haven’t made any decisions with my life. When people ask me what I want to do with myself, I can only give them a vague answer about wanting to do everything. But then I never take any risks and end up disappointed with the depth of my accomplishments.

Last night I went on another Griffith Park night hike where I had a great conversation with my new friend Frank. He told me the story of his life. After starting off as a candy-seller in Mexico, he’s now a business owner with a million-dollar house in the mountains and two grandchildren. When he looks back on his life, he gets scared to think that he might have not taken the risks that he did. He wants to go back and tell his younger self to not even think about letting those opportunities pass him by. So now, into his late 60's, the world is his, yet he is centered at home with family and friends. His story gave me hope. If I take risks and make decisions and enjoy the ride, I might be able to look back on my life one day and feel very fortunate as well.

As a typical post-grad dealing with quarter-life crisis, self-doubt creeps into all my thoughts. I constantly question if what I’m doing will help me reach that vague, indeterminate goal of happiness. But in the process of Thirty Day LA, I have established a new mindset from which to build upon. Happiness is not an end result, but merely a part of the journey. I just have to keep moving forward. So with this adventure I have found my home. I have achieved my goal of getting to know the city a little better. Now I’m ready to tackle everything that lies ahead.

When I started this blog, I hoped that the activities I did would not only produce happiness in my own life, but also inspire others as well. I am glad to hear that some of those who read this blog have started doing more things on their own, found new outings to try out, and have even been reminded of other writing that stuck with them over the years. But ultimately, I hoped that this blog wouldn't end with me and my thirty days. I hoped it would become another thirty day adventure, possibly in a different city, maybe still in LA, or even in another country.

So here's what next: I'm asking you, the random blog-loving internet reader, for your help. I’m asking for you to continue this Thirty Day blog as Thirty Day Chicago, or Thirty Day LA 2.0, or Thirty Day Random European City. If you have ever felt uninspired or that your life is stagnant, if you ever felt like going on a month-long vacation within your own city, or if you just want to spend a lot of money and have a lot of fun, please contact me. I’ll hand over the blog to you and it’ll be yours to do as you please. If you have any questions about how to get started or what insights I’ve gained from this experience, I’ll be happy to share. And whenever you feel ready, you can embark on a memorable thirty day journey to rediscover the city you live in. When you're done, the entire world will be yours to continue exploring for the rest of your life.