Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday!
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​tl;dr “One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”
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In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was punished by the gods for betraying their secrets and was cursed to push a boulder up a hill for eternity. The tale is as old as time (c. 1200–323 BCE, more precisely), and you’ve probably heard it before. You may feel like you suffer from the same experience whenever you find yourself in the same argument with your significant other, or when you are complaining to your boss about the same problems he promised to resolve in the weeks prior. Pushing that same boulder up the same hill for (what feels like) eternity.
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Today, during a call with my coach, he provided me with a new perspective on the story. In an essay, “The Myth of Sisyphus,” there is a line that says, “One must imagine Sisyphus to be happy.” While the essay is from 1942, this line only came into orbit for me today, so perhaps I have the pleasure of sharing it with some of you for the first time as well.
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What does it mean? To imagine this man, punished to push a boulder up a hill for eternity, to be happy?
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While I’m sure the author of the original paper did a much deeper dive, I think the most valuable takeaway is the ability to find joy in the mundane.
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Contrary to the belief popularized on social media, our lives are not a highlight reel. Every day isn’t meant to be a world record, a core memory, or a winning lottery ticket. Since the beginning of humankind, we have been creatures who thrive on repetitive tasks (hunting, gathering, community rituals). And the nature of life is filled with challenges that give us a sense of purpose. But that isn’t sexy, so influencers don’t usually post about the non-glamorous, monotonous tasks that also fill their lives.
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While Sisyphus pushes his boulder, we brush our teeth, wash the dishes, and take out the trash. Our own boulders that we push up the hill day in and day out, for the entirety of our lives. But is that really so bad? What is so “dreadful” about them anyway?
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I think part of the “dread” is the human tendency to seek out problems. We are all guilty of it. Since most of us are fortunate enough not to have to stress about where our next food and water will come from, we find other problems that need solving. And we are naturally inclined to focus on potential threats rather than potential blessings.
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What if we looked instead for the beauty in these small tasks? What if we could be happy washing the dishes, doing the laundry, and organizing the closet? Do they all have to be our favorite pastimes? No, of course not. But maybe we can find the beauty in pushing those boulders up the hill.
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If nothing else, one place I like to see beauty in these moments is when your brain has a chance to wander. These tasks are actually ideal for letting your creative juices flow, but a task keeps your hands busy, and can let your mind mull over all of the information that has been received. If you don’t rush to put on music, a podcast, or the TV when you’re pushing your respective boulders, your mind has a beautiful way of creating its own magic.
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It may not happen every time or with every task, but it will happen if you give yourself the space to experience it. Our lives now are filled with so much noise and distractions. Take these moments to enjoy the quiet or listen to what your brain has to say when it’s given the space to breathe. We can find happiness in these experiences if we let ourselves experience them (and not be constantly worried about the past or the future).
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So let us imagine Sisyphus to be happy, because if we can trust that he finds some happiness in his eternal tasks, so too can we find joy in ours. Let us not wish these trivial “curses” away, but allow the experience to teach us something about joy in the mundane.
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If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM.
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This week, my podcast recommendation is from Science Vs. “Artemis: Why Are We Really Going Back to the Moon?”
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With that, let me know what mundane task you’d like to find joy in this week.
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Until next time,
Shannon