Jordan Lejuwaan • • 2 min read
How to Be A Modern Alchemist
Common knowledge: The alchemists of old sought to transmute lead and other lesser metals into gold.
Scientific knowledge: Scientists have actually found ways to do this, but only on a microscopic level.
Useful knowledge: You can learn a transmutation much more useful than turning lead to gold.
It’s not coal to diamonds or fat to muscle. Nor is it $1 to $1000 or anything truly magical. The change I’m talking about is
anger to laughter.
Was that anti-climactic?
Not in my opinion; this habit will bring you more happiness than any of the other transmutations mentioned.
Just this morning I walked to my office and realized I had left my laptop charger back at home. Only 2 years ago I would have been furious at myself and thought about all the time I was wasting while walking back home. Instead, I quietly laughed to myself and thought ‘I guess I was meant to get some extra exercise this morning.’
This may not sound like a huge revelation but it really can have profoundly positive effects on your day-to-day experience. Anger is a top contender for being the most toxic form of resistance. A combination of small things that piss you off can build up and ruin your entire day. With this technique, you’ll never get near that tipping point and will avoid bursts of negativity throughout the day.
So why laughter?
Laughter is the one emotion/action that will vanquish anger every time. Even if you get really good at rationalizing away your anger (like I did with my walk back home), the anger can still creep up on you if you haven’t been properly amused by it. Furthermore, you’re exchanging anger for a good laugh — that’s a solid trade! Consequently every ‘unfortunate’ event in your day become an opportunity to smile and think ‘Oh life, you’re funny sometimes…’
…and life is pretty damn funny, isn’t it? :)
So the next time you’re stuck in traffic or someone spills their drink on your new shirt, try laughing instead. Life is absurd! Getting angry at your circumstances does as much good as getting angry at a mirror showing your reflection.
Shit is inevitably going to happen, so you might as well get a good LOL out of it!
