Learning to Care - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Have you ever read a book that changed how you see the world?
I still remember the feeling I had when I finished Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It wasn’t just that I enjoyed the book. I walked away with a deeper understanding of myself. Suddenly, I had language for something I had been missing: quality.
Before that, I think I was trying to coast through life. I did things halfway. I stayed on easy street. I wasn’t showing up fully in anything I did. Not in my work, not in my relationships, and definitely not in my own sense of purpose. But Pirsig’s book hit me in the gut. It made me realize that living well isn't about chasing comfort. It's about bringing care and intentionality to the things we do. Quality, as he describes it, isn’t a feature you add to something. It’s the foundation. It’s a way of being.
For me, it was about understanding that quality is really the whole ballgame. Doing things with care and in an intentional way was paramount to living a life that had meaning.
That idea of quality as a way of being rather than just a standard to achieve—it flips everything on its head. It’s not just what you do, but how you do it. Whether you're fixing a motorcycle, writing an email, raising a child, or even just having a conversation, the way you show up matters.
It’s wild how once you start approaching life with that mindset—doing things wholeheartedly, with intention—you begin to feel more grounded. Even the mundane stuff can take on this quiet significance. Life doesn’t necessarily get easier, but it does get fuller.
Since then, I’ve tried to live a quality life. That doesn’t mean things are perfect. But it does mean I approach each part of my life with more presence and purpose. I care how things are done. I apply myself. And I try to stay open to the process, even when it’s hard.
I would never have had that realization if I hadn’t picked up that book. It set me on a path that I’m still walking. A path where quality isn’t just about what I produce, but about how I show up every day.
So here’s my question to you:
Are you coasting, or are you living with quality?
Because the truth is, the "how" of what we do matters more than we think. Whether it’s in our work, our relationships, or our quietest moments, the care we bring to the process changes everything.
To me, this is what it means to embrace enough. Not chasing more, but choosing depth, presence, and care in the way I live.
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Made with Bullet