Over where?

I wanted to post this in my journal, but I'd really like to see Your opinion on the matter.

When we are young, we pretty much don't care. As kids, we have no concerns or great worries. But as we grow up, we have more expectations, more disappointments, more duties, and less time to think simply. We play to the rhythm of our routine.

When I started meditating, I realized that I'm finally getting out of it all - I make worry-less vacation from my problems, family, duties, etc. For me, it was an equivalent of doing what most of us dream of form time to time - packing things up and leaving. And here comes my question - why is that we satisfy ourselves with work-eat-sleep routine, and don't even try to escape from it for a bit? Why don't we help ourselves to the world (by which I don't mean hedonism)?

well from my experience and life, humans like many other animals like routine, we enjoy knowing everything is going as it should. But you're right we should occationally leave our worries behind us for a while

I do escape from it for a little bit. Get out in nature, walk, take pictures, listen, feel the sun on my face, the breeze on my skin... just enjoy the Earth.
It doesn't have to be a long "little bit" for me. I get recharged fairly quickly.
More people need to enjoy life more often than they do, though - that is a fact.

I'm as guilty of this as anyone really - only at the moment it's not even a work-eat-sleep routine for me, it's just eat-sleep, with a lot of aimlessly browsing the internet thrown in somewhere. The times when I actually get out of my house and do things that I enjoy (singing, athletics, etc) are the times when I a) forget about my concerns and worries, and b) feel the most alive.

I wouldn't like to say why we let ourselves get stuck in routines that cause us worry, stress, and perhaps a sense of unfulfillment. Perhaps it's because we've often grown up thinking that this is the norm, and that to do otherwise is selfish behaviour. Perhaps it's because in many ways it is actually easier to live that sort of existence, and avoids any sense of risk. I also think that a lot of people (me included) like to kid themselves that it's only a temporary state of existence, something that will change in the future. Sadly, many people feed themselves this delusion for their entire lives - again, I guess, an attempt to avoid risk and stick with what is safe, known and comfortable.

Being here at TOTJO has made me more aware of the ways in which I let my life be a routine governed by worries and regrets, and since being here I have taken some steps to change that. I hope that TOTJO inspires others to do the same!