Will everything be okay?

Every now and then I get mail from people who are uncertain about their future. They email me and ask what they should do and if everything is going to be okay.

I feel completely unqualified to answer people’s questions about this topic. Partly because I don’t know them and I don’t know their strengths and weaknesses, or what opportunities and threats are before them. Also, no one can truthfully tell another person what is best for them, and certainly no one can predict if things will turn out okay.

My own future is uncertain, how can I give other people assurance?

The big secret is that no one knows what lies ahead. If you are unsure about your life, that is completely normal. Everyone feels that way. I don’t think that it’s easy for anyone to navigate life with confidence.

If no one knows what they are doing, they understand even less about what you are doing. Most people don’t care! Isn’t that wonderful?

We spend all this time worrying what other people think. Am I doing this right? How do I compare to this person? Am I a success yet? But the cosmic joke is that no one cares, and it doesn’t matter.

You can read this one of two ways. You can think that this idea is oppressively negative and drains the life out all our efforts. You can think that I’m just being grumpy, and brush off what I am saying.

Or you can realize that this is great news! You have permission to make mistakes. You have lots of room to to try and fail. No one is watching you because they are all concerned about themselves!

So run! Jump! Fall down, get back up! Be loud and stupid. Stare are a tree for 30 minutes, whatever.

As long as you are trying to be the best you that you can be. Who cares how long it takes? Who cares about how long and winding the road to get there was? No one!

What is success? These people have a few opinions. But I think that it has something to do with living your life the way you want it to be lived. Not what others think is best.