Living The Dream?
When I run into someone I have not seen in a while, the first thing they ask is “How are you doing?” and my response is generally always the same. “Living the dream!” That may seem comical as many respond with a chuckle and a smile which is perfectly acceptable. This is meant to be a bit tongue in cheek, but to be perfectly frank it is accurate. In fact, I have been spending a lot of time lately thinking about what this means exactly. How can someone seem to be happy all the time?
You see I have no solid job, I am the sole provider for a family of 5, I stress often that the company I started may someday fail, and on top of everything I deal with a number of issues internally that are beyond my control. However, I am very much self-aware of my own deficiencies. I sometimes medicate to control a lot of these anxieties and issues I have internally, but I do not believe that anything I am going through are so detrimental that it keeps a smile from forming on my face. I know how lucky I am to even be able to wake up everyday, get out of bed, and smell the fresh air as I walk out the front door of my house. It is a thing I have learned to focus on which is called “perspective.”
Webster defines “perspective” as a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view. It is your keen sense of putting your life into some sort of context. Of knowing things could be much worse.
My Dad struggled with this in his own life. It was a struggle for him to see that every day is a new opportunity to start fresh. He had a hard time seeing that there could be light in all of the dark he was dealing with. Ultimately the stresses of life were just too much and he ended it when I was 16.
And perhaps it is what I went though in my own youth that has helped to shape my own perspective. I have certainly gone through quite a lot in my short time here on this planet. Whether it was my time in the Navy, being nearly homeless, or having to deal with suicide at such a young age, my life has never been one of great privilege. However, things could be much worse. By now you are probably wondering why I am being so open with my post.
I get a lot of messages from people about their own struggles and they ask me what I do to continue to keep a positive attitude. They often struggle with what they can be doing to keep their perspective positive in the face of great struggle. And while the answer may be simple for most, it is the varied background and upbringing that skews their own personal perspective. So I share my own challenges and battles for two reasons. The first is that it is very therapeutic for me to get my own struggles out of my head. The other is that I know others are battling with their own issues and they need to know they are not alone. That many are having trouble with their own internal demons and hearing about the struggles of others helps to put things into context.
At the end of the day we are all struggling with something. We have things in our lives that challenge us every day to push further and be better than we were yesterday. We all have an inherent need to grow and progress. We want to succeed (whatever that means to you) and to find a path to happiness. If you are able to see past today and know that tomorrow is just another chance to win, then you are two steps ahead of many people who continue to struggle with finding their own version of happiness. Take solace in knowing you have outlets and people are likely struggling with similar issues. You are not alone. Be thankful for what you have and who you are. Because you are living the dream!
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
-Søren Kierkegaard
