Hey there, folks!
Lately, I’ve been having some deep thoughts that I just need to get off my chest. It’s almost like journaling, but I figured these musings might resonate with some of you out there. So here we go.
From Childhood Bliss to Adulting Whirlwind
Ever feel like life is just zooming past you? There’s this viral meme that really hits home for me: childhood feels long, beautiful, and full of those fond, carefree memories. School is fun, friends are awesome, and worries are minimal. But then, bam! Adulthood happens in a blink, and before you know it, 60-70 years just vanish. Assuming we make it to around 70, what do we have to look back on? It’s like, wait, where did all that time go?
What’s the Point of Living if We’re Not Really Living?
So, this got me thinking – what’s the point of living for 70-80 years if it all feels like a blur? We’re supposed to feel life, right? But what does that even mean? Is it about doing things that make us forget time or doing things that make every moment count? I recently spent 10 days at a meditation center – no phones, no talking. It was hard, like, really hard. But now, 10 months later, I still remember every single moment. How crazy is that?
The Hard Stuff vs. The Easy Life
Growing up, we’re told to seek out experiences that make time fly. But now I wonder if it’s the tough tasks, the ones that make us feel every single second, that truly matter. They might not be comfortable, but maybe life is about these challenging experiences that bring deeper satisfaction, rather than just instant gratification.
Chasing Success: Is It Worth It?
I’ve been reading this book, Atmamun by Kapil Gupta, MD, and he talks about finding joy in the little things. Life isn’t all about grand achievements or material success. We’ve created a world where money solves problems, but does it really make us happy? When all our problems are solved, we crave new ones. It’s like we need something to fix.
Expectations: The Silent Killers
I recently created a dance piece and posted it on Instagram. Despite getting good feedback, I was overwhelmed with self-criticism. My expectations were so high they overshadowed my enjoyment. If I had done this a few years ago, I wouldn’t have been so hard on myself. This made me realize how expectations can weigh us down and rob us of joy.
Let me break it down for you: I put together this dance piece, all excited about how it turned out. But then, the moment I posted it, my mind went into overdrive. “You were overdressed,” “You could have shot it better,” “You should have posted another clip,” – the noise in my head was relentless. I had so many different shots and angles on my phone, but I just couldn’t stop nitpicking the one I chose to post. The outfit seemed off, the makeup wasn’t right, and I was just seeing flaws everywhere. If this had been a few years ago, I wouldn’t have been nearly as critical. Expectations, man. They can really mess with your head.
Slow Living: The Secret to Happiness?
We’re constantly bombarded with success stories and societal standards of achievement. But life is much more than that. It’s about finding joy in the small moments and embracing a slower pace. Life isn’t about fulfilling societal expectations but about understanding and living according to what makes us feel alive.
Comparisons: The Thief of Joy
Expectations often stem from societal standards rather than our true desires. We need to teach ourselves to live for ourselves, not for others. The human tendency to compare can steal our contentment. It’s essential to understand that life is about our personal journey, not how we measure up to others.
The Bigger Picture
Here’s a weird but eye-opening story I read. There was this guy who lost the ability to feel silence due to some bacterial issue in his ears. For him, silence became a constant buzz. It drove him into depression. This made me think about how much we take for granted and how we only realize the value of the most trivial things when we lose them.
Another example that really hit me was Robert Greene, the author of The 48 Laws of Power. He had a stroke and lost the ability to walk independently. It wasn’t until then that he truly appreciated his independence. Think about it – we move through life, taking our abilities and freedoms for granted until something shakes us to our core. It’s only when we lose something that we realize how valuable it was.
Then there was this story of a Hollywood intern who became a therapist. She started out sorting through countless scripts, reading about conflicted characters day in and day out. This seemingly mundane job gave her deep insights into human nature and patterns of behavior. She found joy in understanding people through these fictional stories, which eventually led her to become a therapist. It’s these small, often overlooked experiences that can profoundly shape our lives.
In today’s fast-paced world, how many students or young professionals have the chance to experience such diverse career paths? Going from a high school student to working in Hollywood, and then to becoming a therapist – that’s a pretty wide journey. Yet, most of us are so caught up in the rat race, trying to make all the right choices early on to achieve success as quickly as possible. We burn ourselves out, aiming to retire early, and in the process, we completely miss out on life. Despite having an abundance of options today, we narrow our focus to what society deems successful. Students feel immense pressure to get everything right from the start. They don’t want to risk failure or take a detour that might delay their success. But is that really living?
Steve Jobs: Embracing the Random Experiences
And then there’s Steve Jobs. People often look up to him as a success icon, but he was someone who deeply understood the importance of happiness and living a fulfilled life. In his iconic commencement speech at Stanford University, Jobs shared three personal stories that shaped his life. One of the most memorable was about how he dropped in on a calligraphy class, which seemed totally random at the time. But this experience played a significant role in the design of the Mac and its beautiful typography. It’s a testament to how seemingly random experiences can have profound impacts on our lives.
Jobs also talked about the importance of pursuing what makes you happy, not just what makes you money. He emphasized teaching his children to find joy and fulfillment rather than just chasing financial success. This idea resonates deeply with me. We live in a world where we’re constantly pushed to achieve more, earn more, and be more. But what if the real success lies in finding happiness in the little things?
Technology: A Blessing and a Curse
It’s kind of funny, isn’t it? We’ve traveled from a time with no phones at all to having mobile phones, smartphones, and now, artificial intelligence like ChatGPT and even online relationships. Growing up in the Nokia era, this all feels like too much change. I mean, our parents used to complain about us using too much phone or laptop, but now they’re just as hooked! Still, they grumble about our online presence, unable to fully adapt to the change.
I find myself experiencing a similar inertia, a reluctance about the uncertain future. Sometimes, I wish we could go back to the days of writing letters. Mobile phones are fine, but the constant connectivity and dependency on technology can be overwhelming. I read a passage today that said we’ve lost many sensory memories in this era of ChatGPT. We don’t talk about, how the touch was, how something smelled or felt. We lost so much of that ability of real sensations and documentation of those memories in our neural networks. All that our neural pathways can do is tap tap tap and scroll scroll.We don’t talk about what books we’re reading or the real-life experiences we’re having. Instead, we discuss online interactions, texts that weren’t received, or comments made online.
Technology keeps us connected with long-distance friends, which is great, but it also makes me feel conflicted. If I had the chance, maybe I’d prefer a world where innovation was limited, and we didn’t rely so heavily on technology. Perhaps we’d find better ways to spend our time, ways that make us feel more alive.
The Half-Empty, Half-Full Glass: Perspective Matters
You know the saying about the glass being half empty or half full? It might sound cliché, but it’s so relevant here. Life is all about perspective. When you look at your achievements or even your failures, do you see the opportunities and growth, or do you focus on what’s lacking? This simple shift in perspective can change everything. It’s not about what happens to us, but how we interpret and react to those events.
Take my recent exam, for example. I scored 40 out of 200 – not great. But then I found out someone else scored less, and suddenly I felt a bit better. But what if I found out that everyone else scored higher? Would that make my score worse? It’s the same 40, but our happiness and contentment often depend on comparison. It’s a reminder to focus on our own journey and not let comparisons dictate our feelings.
The Role of Expectations and Comparisons
Expectations often stem from societal standards rather than our true desires. We need to constantly remind ourselves to live for ourselves and not for others. The tendency to compare can rob us of our happiness. It’s crucial to understand that life is about our personal journey, not how we measure up to others.
Final Thoughts
These reflections might not provide clear solutions, but they emphasize the importance of feeling life, embracing slow living, and redefining success on our terms. It’s about finding value in the moment and understanding that life’s true essence lies in our interpretation of it.
And here’s the thing about expectations: they’re not just about what others think of us, but also about what we think of ourselves. It’s a constant teaching process to understand that we are doing things for ourselves, not for others.
These are just my random thoughts from the past few days. What about you? Have you had similar thoughts? How do you deal with expectations and the rush of life? Let’s share and reflect together.
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