Derrick Douglas
Sep 6, 2018 · 2 min read

Thanks for the refreshing perspective. I believe it’s so true. It’s easy to get caught up in the mindset that we can (and should) ALWAYS be doing better and striving to improve ourselves and we can forget about all of the achievements we’ve already made and the work that we’ve already put in.

One can easily interpret from many motivational articles around here that we can program ourselves like machines. The ‘hustle’ is such praised mode of living that we can forget why we’re doing it in the first place — ultimately, to find joy and contentment in our lives and with ourselves.

It should be a priority to make a habit of regular “check-ins” with ourselves to, yes, make sure we are on the right ladder, and also, even if we are, to take a moment and give ourselves a pat on the back and some recognition / acknowledgement for how far we’ve come to get to where we are now. We deserve some credit for that and, usually, we only remember to do that when we take pause and rest for a moment. Reflect on your current place in life and find contentment in how far you’ve already made it.

Learning to enjoy the present moment is one of the most valuable ‘skills' one can develop. It’s a never ending practice because the present moment is infinitely vast and there are innumerable ways to increase our awareness.

If one is constantly striving to be better and improve their external conditions, they are likely to lose focus of their internal growth which I truly believe happens when you are in a state of rest and you can stop the movement for a moment. Someone who is always on the go and always hustling through life, may well achieve the physical successes they are striving for, but they are likely also developing a nasty habit of never being able to sit still and appreciate where they are right now.

Derrick Douglas

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Explorer of conundrums and amateur self-therapist