Just Because

...is a good enough reason

Dear Patient,

We acupuncturists like to encourage more people to try acupuncture by talking about its benefits. It relieves pain without the side effects of drugs. It eases stress. It boosts the immune system. It improves circulation. It’s great for prevention. I could go on.

But really, you don’t need a reason to do acupuncture. You can do it without regard to an outcome or tangible benefit. Just because you enjoy it. Just because it’s a nice way to spend an hour.

And in fact this thinking can be applied to any sort of activity in your life. You can go for a walk just to delight in the experience of going for a walk, and not to help you get in your steps for the day. You can meditate just because you want to sit still for a while, and not to help you develop more self-awareness and release negative emotions. You can start a passion project just for fun, and not to build it into a business. You can spend a day puttering about the house, or the yard, or the neighborhood, with no ostensible purpose at all.

You don’t have to justify your every activity. Not all of life’s endeavors must be a means to and end. Letting go of an end goal brings you more into the present moment. But even “being present” doesn’t have to be your goal. You can just be.

You can do acupuncture, or anything for that matter, just because.

Love and gratitude,

Your Acupuncturist

P.S. this note was inspired by the book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman. It sounds like a book about productivity, but it’s really quite the opposite.