"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE?"
It is a question
we’d like to think we know the answer to.
In a world so unwilling to slow down, we’re quick to claim that we have
our lives together. To say that we have a steady job, a significant other, a
house, a family—to prove that we are headed towards some destination of societal
accomplishment. We are so eager to say that we have all of these things, but the one
claim we aren’t as willing to make is that we are genuinely happy.
I am working temp jobs, I am single, and I
don’t have much to my name other than my story and about seventy pairs of
shoes; but yet, here I am, content without all of the things and people that
society says I’m supposed to have in order to be happy. It has taken me a
long time to realize that happiness is not a reward. Upon this realization, it
is easy to spot those who do not find contentment within themselves. It is especially
disheartening for me to see people who
once were so dedicated to fulfilling their dreams, submit to society's prescription of time.
You can only offer someone as much depth as you are
willing to offer yourself. Be honest—rethink your job, your
hobbies, and your habits. Have you stopped working towards your goals because
you’ve become stuck in a societal trap of conformity? Of convincing yourself
that you are happy because you’re supposed to be? You cannot add to the growth and sustainment of friendships/relationships if you stop stimulating your intellect. If you
do not feed your passions, your potential is stunted. You become stagnant, stuck in a cycle
of discontent- always dependent upon a new possession to emit the
happiness which you do not hold within yourself. Instead of being caught up in the timeline of where you're expected to be, slow down and expand. Learn a new language,
read a book that is not quite your style, watch the local news. Small steps
towards inner-peace contribute to a greater conversation than the material
things we cultivate in our lives. Work towards something bigger than what you
see, find complexities hidden within seemingly mundane moments. You have a greater purpose in this life than to simply wait for the next step.
Although I am without a steady paycheck, I am committed to my progress. I read. I write. I practice yoga. I go to the gym. I am aware
of the world outside of myself. I listen to what my peers have to offer. I am
fascinated by other people and their passions, their dreams, their stories. The people who are most impressive to me are
not those who achieve a certain stage of the "American Dream," but the ones who
continue moving towards their goals, despite uncertainty and defeat. There is an important distinction between
who we are and who we present ourselves to be. I know I cannot depend on a pair of shoes to
make me happy, but I can count on them to carry my feet forward into the woman
I am striving to become.
No Comments Yet, Leave Yours!