This is part of the grateful series.
For the first 2 years of university, I had a single black Muji pen.
The pen I used to write all my exams, take all my notes, and the one that helped me discover my love for writing.
As with everything, the pen had reached its natural conclusion; the end of it’s life cycle. It’s ink ran out.
I didn’t realize how important my writing utensil was, until I replaced it with an ordinary ball point pen. I always found it odd that people would spend $50, or even $100, on really high quality pens, when a regular pen serves the same purpose.
What I hadn’t yet experienced was the latency and friction that came with a low quality pen.
Every time I’d acquire motivation, or a drive to write, the small friction that the pen posed was enough to throw me off track, or slow me down enough to postpone writing to the next day.
I’ve deemed writing as one of the most imperative habits in my life, as its what led me to take ownership of myself.
If a pen is getting in the way of this all-important process, it’s time to invest in a better pen.
I’d like to say I’m fairly frugal, so I’d consider spending more than $2 CAD on a pen, a waste of money.
This frugality quickly becomes a fault, especially when it comes to investing in myself.
I can say confidently that, for me, writing is a priceless experience. I’d be willing to spend, or invest, rather, a significant amount of money if it means I can continue to hone my craft, and as a result, my thought process.
While much of this is me ducking possession of an internal drive, its also an important lesson in investing in the tools that are important.
Investing in yourself, really.
A Muji pen is a tool that helps me continue to improve my craft.
I’m grateful for my Muji pen.
It enables me to express myself.
To learn about myself.
To heal myself.
To acquire purpose, and to find meaning.
Shout out to my brother for ordering me one.