Pleasure is honourable. Honour is pleasurable.

After the year we’ve had—or we are having—it is clear there’s more to us than we’ve let on. 

There is more to life than the frivolities and run-of-the-mill activities that we’ve become so accustomed to. We don’t have to settle for one-directional lives. We can strive to do more and be more for ourselves and others by simply being a better version of ourselves. 

Everything we do and every decision we make has some kind of impact on others. Wearing a mask can save someone else’s life. Sharing a tweet can spark a global movement. Voting, by mail or in person, can put your city, province or country on the right track. Sharing a biweekly letter about nothing can keep people engaged, hopeful, proactive and willing to grow together. 

This year, we’ve learnt that two things can be true:

Our ideologies can be redundant yet constructive,

The media can be a distraction and a platform for activism and;

Your work, hobbies and habits can be both pleasurable and honourable.

Honour and pleasure rarely ever go together. Yet, this year may have convinced us that we can find pleasure in things that are honourable and our pleasures can also be honourable. The activities that we tend to enjoy can actually be a form of activism and pipeline for growth in our communities. Likewise, seemingly dreary and uncomfortable activities can actually be enjoyable. 

Simply put, you can love doing what is right. You can enjoy doing things and being part of activities that have a greater impact on the lives of others. 

This year, you may have noticed how much involved and interested you’ve become in issues like sexual assault, mental health, public health, politics, police brutality and social injustice. These menaces affect our communities and at some point this year, you’ve loved being a part of a movement that’s looking to curb them. 

If after 10 months of 2020, we know that pleasure and honour can be interchangeable, I encourage you to commit to finding pleasure in honourable things. 

Keep supporting causes that have a greater impact on others. Keep lending your voice to movements that are working to make our communities better. Keep using your work, hobbies and habits to make the world a better place.

Keep being a better version of yourself. 

This letter was originally shared as a newsletter. You can sign up to receive letters like this one on a biweekly basis here.