2 months ago, I wrote this in my notes.

两个月前，我在笔记中写了这些内容。

I write occasional letters to myself as an awareness practice.

为了培养觉知的习惯，我偶尔会给自己写信。

I can’t find joy in life anymore.

我再也找不到生活的乐趣了。

It’s not the same.

一切都变了。

Remember when you used to go on long walks while reading or listening to lectures, audiobooks, or podcasts and your mind would light up with ideas?

还记得过去你总是一边散步一边读书或者听讲座、有声书、播客，脑海里满是灵感的那段时光吗？

You couldn’t stop writing. Everything felt seamless. That period was like a blur. A 6 month flow state. You built 3 products, gained millions of readers, and even wrote a book.

你当时写起来简直停不下来。一切都那么顺畅。那段时间就像一场模糊的梦境。持续了六个月的高效状态。你打造了三个产品，吸引了数百万读者，还写了一本书。

If you had to do it all over again right now, could you do it just as well?

如果你现在要重新再做这些，能做得和以前一样好吗？

No way.

不可能了。

What did your days look like?

那时你的日常是什么样的？

I would wake up, go down to the lake for a walk, sit on a bench in front of that pond, read a book and highlight it nonstop.

我会醒来，然后去湖边散步，在那个池塘前的长椅上坐下，读书并不停地做笔记。

Then, I’d go back home, take a shower, walk 10 minutes to the coffee shop, and write for 2 hours. Those 2 hours every morning built the entirety of your life right now.

然后，我会回家，洗个澡，步行十分钟到咖啡馆，写作两小时。这每天早上的两小时造就了你现在的一切。

Then, I’d go home again, eat breakfast (you were experimenting with different diets, maybe that’s a clue due to the novelty and dopamine from experimentation), and go out on another walk.

接着，我会回家，吃早餐（你当时在尝试不同的饮食，也许这也是个线索，因为新鲜感和多巴胺的刺激），然后再出去散步。

A little after noon, I’d go to the gym, eat afterward, learn on YouTube a bit, and then go on yet another walk.

中午过后，我会去健身房，运动后吃点东西，随后在 YouTube 上学习一点东西，然后再散一次步。

You’d close the day out catching up with friends, maybe working a bit more, and watching a show.

一天的结束就是和朋友们聊天，也许再多工作一下，然后看看节目。

It’s been bugging me too long.

这个问题已经困扰我很久了。

I knew that there was a way to get back to that higher state of mind – not necessarily the lifestyle itself.

我知道有一种方法可以恢复到那种更高的精神状态，而不一定是回到原来的生活方式。

I’m not one to complain though even though that letter-to-self sounds sappy. I like to fix my problems before sharing the solution with you.

虽然那封写给自己的信听起来有些煽情，我其实不是那种会抱怨的人。我喜欢在向你分享解决方案之前，先自己解决问题。

If you’re anything like me, you’ve noticed that these low periods of life are cyclical.

如果你和我有相似的经历，你会发现生活中的低谷期是反复出现的。

For a few months you feel on top of the world. You can’t stop making progress.

几个月来你感觉自己非常出色，进步不断。

Then, the next few months slow down. You feel good, but things aren’t the same.

接下来的几个月节奏放慢了下来。你感觉良好，但情况却不同以往。

Last, you hit a wall. Your vision is exhausted. You feel lost. Negative thoughts begin to flood your mind – they can cloud your mind and prevent you from collecting hints at your next purpose in life that sends you down a rabbit hole of obsession.

最后，你遇到了瓶颈。你的灵感枯竭，感到迷茫。负面想法开始充斥你的脑海，扰乱你的思绪，让你无法捕捉到下一步人生目标的线索，把你引向困惑和执着的深渊。