Recently (as in earlier today!) I read an article about how we are ruining our own lives. If you're interested in reading it, it can be found riiiiiiight here: How To Ruin Your Life.
The title intrigued me. Could a stranger possibly tell me I'm ruining my life? I thought I was doing pretty well at succeeding, then I read the article. It wasn't quite what I expected, but it was exactly what I needed.
Just to let you in on a little about me, I hate wasting my time. I feel that everything should have a purpose and my actions should be progressing me towards some bigger goal. You don't have to agree, it's just simply where I stand on things. There are times that I'm so focused on this logic that I get tunnel vision and forget to just take a step back and look at the direction I'm going and if it's what I want to do. One point the article made is that people don't consider backtracking, they view life as a straight line. I needed to read that. Growing up, I had my ten year plan: go to college, get a career, get married, have a family. All this before 30! I'm at the half-way point in my twenties and I can see how unrealistic it is. It's ok to say something and not follow through, life doesn't always give you what you want, but it gives you what you need. It's made me look at all the elements of my life and take stock of what I have right now, and then compare it to where I want to be. If I backtrack, it's ok, it doesn't make me weak or unsuccessful.
Not only this, another point this article made was trying to fast-track love. I can wholeheartedly agree with this one. We all want to be that one special person for someone and can't wait to do so. We spend our time searching, narrowing down the playing field, going for goal. Why?! I mean, there's a point to it, but why the rush? I need to just appreciate moments I have and let it go from there. If you know me at all, this is a very difficult task. When feelings are involved I become a total mess. But, I can't control the situation or other people and I need to accept happiness instead of letting it stress me out. Complimenting this, I need to value and appreciate the alone time I do get. It's not lonely time, it's time to value the things I want to do, without having to worry about others. There are always going to be times when we're alone, so it's best to get used to it.
I always believed that by working hard at something and going through a problem instead of around it, you would come out stronger on the other side. I still believe that. This is a challenge for me, but it means more opportunities for growth. I have never been one to be complacent and this is another instance where I refuse to be. I will be strong, I will be flexible, I will probably backtrack, but I will not ruin my life.
