The Happiness of Doing What You Love: Adler's 'Energeia' Life

Introduction: Are You Only ‘Preparing’ Right Now?

“Do what you want once you get into college.” “You can travel once you get a job.” “I’ll live comfortably in a country house after retirement.”

We are busy preparing for something all our lives. We constantly postpone happiness to some point in the future. We put off what we want to do now with the excuse “if I succeed later,” and endure today by suppressing what we don’t want to do. As if believing that we can see the light (happiness) only after passing through the long tunnel called life.

But Adlerian psychology asks. “If that ‘later’ never comes, will your today remain as a painful time of mere endurance?”

Today, we escape from the goal-oriented way of life, Kinesis, and talk about the Energeia way of life, enjoying the process itself.

1. Kinesis Life: Viewing Life as a Line

‘Kinesis’, derived from Aristotelian philosophy, means movement or transit. Reaching the destination is most important, and the process before reaching it is seen as incomplete and insufficient. From a Kinesis perspective, life is merely ‘a way to the destination’. If passing an exam is the goal, the period of studying becomes a painful time to be sacrificed for passing. What if you fail? All the efforts so far are dismissed as meaningless failures.

Such a life is precarious. If the goal is not achieved, the whole life is denied. Also, even if the goal is achieved, another goal arises immediately, so there is no time to enjoy true satisfaction. You live endlessly in a state of ‘not arrived yet’.

2. Energeia Life: Viewing Life as Points

On the other hand, ‘Energeia’ means Actuality or activity itself. It is a state where “the act of doing this now is the goal itself.”

The best examples are Dance and Travel. We do not dance to reach a specific place. The act of dancing itself is joy and purpose. If the music stops while dancing? Would you say, “It’s a failed dance because I didn’t reach the destination”? No. It is complete because you enjoyed it enough. Travel is the same. The trip starts from the moment you leave home. Taking pictures at the destination is not the only travel. Even the time spent getting lost is part of the travel.

Adler says. “Life is a series of moments (points).” Our life is not connected like a line, but is made up of points called this moment. Therefore, we must live ‘here and now’ like dancing.

3. Do What You Want, Right Now

“Will I starve if I do what I want?” Many people are anxious. But the ‘work you want to do’ that Adler speaks of does not simply mean hedonistic play. It is “work where I feel joy while contributing to others.”

It doesn’t have to be a grand dream. If you want to write, don’t spend today painfully aiming to become a best-selling author. Just write right now. Feel the immersion and joy of this moment writing. Then you are already a writer, and you have already achieved your dream. If you want to draw, open the paper now. If you want to cook, prepare tonight’s dinner with care.

Shine the ‘spotlight’ on the process, not the result. If ‘this moment’ of doing what you want is faithful, your life is already successful regardless of the result.

4. Does Life Have No Goal?

One of the radical claims of Adlerian psychology is “Life has no goal in the general sense.” We are forced to be climbers silently climbing towards the mountain peek (goal). But do we really have to reach the top? Is it not hiking to enjoy the scenery while eating a packed lunch on the mountainside?

Life is closer to a picnic than hiking. It is not about reaching a set destination and coming back, but the essence of life is the times of looking around, smelling flowers, and talking with friends while walking. It’s okay not to achieve the goal. If you lived today joyfully like dancing, you have lived that day’s worth of life perfectly.

5. Conclusion: Let’s Dance for Today

‘Seriousness’ is a lie of life. Do not be too serious. Put down the heavy backpack of “I must do it,” “It’s over if I fail.” Instead, enjoy today with light steps. Work like singing, meet people like dancing.

Doing what you want, that is courage. Courage not to sacrifice today with the excuse of uncertainty of the future. Do that work that makes your heart beat right now, at this moment. On the stage of your life, the main character is you, and the spotlight is shining only on ‘now’.

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