Life can be a beach

You won’t find many miserable people lounging on a Hawaiian beach. There’s something transformative about the meeting of sea and shore that seems to wash away the burdens of the world. Even toddlers and their usually-under-duress parents are in good spirits. So, I’m only half-joking when I say the beach life might be a good vision for a happier humanity; much better than flying cars, immortality, or space conquests. 

Think about it: at the beach, everything’s just... right. You’re not caught up in a to-do list. No meetings, deadlines, or worries. The sun kisses your skin just enough to make you feel alive. The water? Hypnotic, refreshing, and fun. You nap, you read, you write, you frolic, and you just be.

The beach life, both literally and as a metaphor, feels like a piece of paradise. Imagine if we could turn this once-a-year indulgence into a way of being. To those of you who instantly feel the practicality alarms going off, thinking, "But we can't live on vacation!”—you need some Aloha, my friends. Beach life isn't about perpetually lounging in hammocks, sipping piña coladas; it's about flowing through life with a sense of ease, bliss, freedom, and fulfillment.

And sure, I’m not ignoring the obvious. The only reason I get to kick back on a beach is because someone’s working hard nearby—keeping up the hotel, cooking my meals, maintaining the healthcare systems, all of that. I pay for this with my own work, which is similarly valuable. The challenge isn’t to ignore labor, but to reimagine it: how do we get the essentials done faster, easier, and with less stress so we can beach more? How do we redesign our days so that there’s more room for joy and fewer pointless distractions—like doom-scrolling or chasing hollow status symbols? How do we make space for the good stuff that actually nourishes us?

Beach life is also as much in the mind as it is in what we do and where we are (and they are all inextricably linked). Lucidity, equanimity, optimism, and cheerfulness can color your regular day with the hues of ocean and sand.  

If the beach life sounds appealing, it needn't be a distant dream. Most of us live so mindlessly, so sub-optimally, that repeating this simple exercise can unlock hours each day within just a few weeks: analyze your day, cut out the junk, automate or streamline what you can (sprinkle some utopAI perhaps), and focus on what truly matters. Also do, say, and think things that put you in a good mindset. Imagine trading hours of mindless chores or stress for moments that actually add value to your life. 

I'm naively hopeful that, with a little intention, beach bliss might be well within our reach.