Your life has so much more at stake than the job you have or whether or not people think you're cool.
This is one of those strange thoughts I had on a hot summer day in 2016. I wrote this down because something about it really struck a chord with both how my life was at the time and with things I was struggling to overcome.
Being a human being is one of the rarest and luckiest opportunities you could have. Yes there are seven billion of us and counting but considering the odds,-Holy shit we are lucky!
It's easy not to comprehend this or to forget this idea. I was guilty of this for a very long time (major emphasis on the very). With the ironically named social media age and ever increasing access into each other’s fabricated versions of our lives, it is far too easy to get wrapped up in what others are doing and how we compare in terms of lifestyle and status.
We get so wrapped up in keeping up with the Jones’ that we forget to even ask if it is something we want in our lives. Before we know it, it’s 20 years later and we are wondering where the hell our life went and why are we filled with so many regrets of the things we could have or should have done.
I want to inject this little nugget into your mind:
Once that happens, your time on this rock is up. There's no avoiding it. It is going to happen. You have one chance at life and that's it. No extra lives. No power-ups. Nothing. What are you going to do to be at peace with yourself, your sanity, and your happiness?
So many times in life we get caught up in the excitement of the norm. The norm does not sound exciting on paper but in reality it’s the reverse. The norm is an addictive and immensely attractive way in which we regress into a less productive form of ourselves. We do things we feel we should because it's what everyone is doing.
There are norms that are part of the necessity of life. We all need to make living and fulfill basic needs, but there's something else. There is an intrinsic notion that has to be met. A prophecy we place upon ourselves to go out and accomplish. Most people ignore this voice of truth, telling us what we need to do. Instead, they regress into the norm. The watch tv for hours or spend their day crouched over a screen instead of talking to someone face-to-face. There are many other things we do to regress into the norm. The one thing we do not do is listen to that voice of truth.
Listen to it. Understand it. Chase it. That little voice that is chipping away in your mind telling you to go back or change directions; it's there for a reason.
Too many of us chase careers we don’t want or things we don’t need because it’s what someone told them they should have. We ignore The voice of truth for a few simple reasons: 1 – it’s different. 2 – it is usually followed by hard work. 3 – We care too much about what others think.
These reasons are perfect reasons why we SHOULD listen to the voice of truth. We should all want to be a little different, to work hard at something we love, and to not give a damn about what others think. They are perfect reasons to break free from your norm and chase that crazy thing the voice of truth is whispering to you.
Your life has so much more at stake than the job you do or whether or not people think you're cool. Whether you have money or a big house, or if you took the career your parents wanted you to.
You have to find that part of your heart in the real world that is going to make it feel full. Nothing/Nobody else in this world will. No people or possessions can fill that aching gap. The only thing that can complete your heart is you.
Start searching.