I keep myself busy, I read a lot, watch a lot of TV, and do a lot of gardening. I do stupid stuff and I love i... — Akshaye Khanna

I keep myself busy, I read a lot, watch a lot of TV, and do a lot of gardening. I do stupid stuff and I love it.

Author: Akshaye Khanna

Insight: There's something refreshingly honest about admitting you do stupid stuff and love it. We live in an age of optimization, where every activity is supposed to be productive, meaningful, or at least look good on Instagram. So there's real freedom in the idea that some things are worth doing simply because they bring you joy, even if they serve no larger purpose. Gardening might improve your mental health and give you fresh vegetables, sure—but sometimes you're just there getting dirt under your nails because it feels good. The combination of activities Khanna mentions—reading, TV, projects—actually reveals something deeper. He's not saying he sits around doing nothing. He's busy, engaged, consuming, making things. But he's given himself permission to do it all without a grand narrative attached. That's the stupid stuff: watching a show you love without justifying it as "quality television," reading without it being literary canon, gardening without worrying about yields. In a world that constantly demands we explain ourselves and our choices, there's an underrated wisdom in simply enjoying what you enjoy. The paradox is that this approach—doing things without needing them to mean something—often leads to a better life than relentless self-improvement ever could.