The Dark Side of Comfort

Happiness, they say, is a simple thing. Too bad it now feels like something only a Nobel Prize winner could solve. Take playing, for example. It is supposed to be pure pleasure, right? Yet between discipline, correct posture, dedication, we sometimes forget why we started in the first place.

Personally, I think I have found a recipe that works. Let me tell you what happened.

It all started with a pair of jeans. I had not worn them in years. I put them on and felt different. Lighter. More normal. Then I changed my living room. New sofa, new layout. And without thinking too much, I took my old acoustic bass out of its case.

I left it on the couch. No case, no barriers. I removed every obstacle between me and it. And there it stayed. Day and night. Always ready, always within reach.

Even people on social media noticed the change. Now I record my videos straight from my iPhone, no fancy lights or tripods. Just me, the bass, and the moment.

Since then, I have been playing about two extra hours a day. Sitting down. Relaxed. In jeans. An easy boy with the truth in his pocket.

Fascinated by a new kind of discipline: the discipline of relaxation.

There is the kind of discipline that smells of effort, metronomes, and perfectly aligned fingers. It works, of course. It builds precision, endurance, and guilt. Then there is another kind, softer, slower, almost suspiciously pleasant, where you drift a little, miss a beat, take a detour, and somehow still end up sounding better. It is not efficient, but it is effective. Less sweat, more smile. The music breathes again, and so do you.

Dear friend, wake up.
If something hurts, if your step feels heavy, I don’t have answers — but I’ve learned one thing that works: let go a little.
There’s no medal waiting at the end. Only the quiet joy of having played your part, and having played it honestly.
It takes courage to loosen the grip, to let slip what has grown too tight, what no longer fits our shape. Letting go isn’t surrender; it’s an act of trust. It’s opening space. It’s breathing again.
We never go back — you know that. We go toward the center.

Maybe discipline is overrated. Maybe, once in a while, the real secret is giving in to the dark side. The comfortable one. Being a bit of a freak, unbuttoning the jacket, breathing, letting go. It pays off.

The acoustic bass, the couch, the right light, and that strange feeling of finally being happy, even if deeply and inevitably incomplete. Accepting it.

Is that really a sin? What do you think? Tell me honestly. I would love to know your personal take on it.

Note: Comments are now open. If you want to share your thoughts, try the new feature, or simply write "I play in jeans too," go ahead. I will read them all, probably from the couch.