A Toast to Not Giving a **** — Day 8 — As Life Happens | By Vindya Vithana

In my life, I have met too many people with great potential who live extremely mediocre lives.

Why?

Because they give too many shits about what other people think.

Let me tell you a story about my life. 7 years ago, in 2010, I found myself spiraling into a dark pit of despair. I was so depressed that there were times I felt like I couldn’t breathe. If there could be a “rock bottom” in someone’s life, then that was it for me.

In a very fortunate turn of events, one very gloomy evening I found myself idly watching the Lion King movie in which the story is told from the perspective of Timon and Pumba. I think it was called The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata. I laughed all throughout the movie, and in the end, it was like a light switched on inside of me.

Those much adored animated characters somehow taught me the secret to a good life.

It is to not give a shit. Hakuna Matata. It means No Worries, for the rest of your days!

I realized that all my worries that turned my life into an unproductive pit of misery were based on other people — not myself. I realized the massive sense of freedom that comes when you finally decide not to live your life on other people’s terms.

The 7 years that followed had been the most fascinating, colorful and the happiest years of my life. I have accomplished so much since then.

So today, let me write about not giving a shit.

As humans, we all have this deep-seated desire to be liked and accepted. We don’t want people to “judge” us. Some people go all their lives putting all their efforts and energy to live a “dream” that was constructed to them by other people.

Take a moment to think about these “other people” everyone is constantly in a pursuit to impress; the society, the “friends”, the relatives and just the people around you. Do you think they really care about you? You see too many people in comment sections of Facebook, judging the way the “famous people” live. Do you think they really care about them?

You might even give up on a lifelong dream of yours just to fit in and to be accepted by the society. Nevertheless, they will forget you and your whole existence the moment they get even the mildest discomfort in their life.

People are too busy living their own lives to truly care about how you live your own. Therefore, it is about time you live it the way you want.

This is all about living your life to the fullest. And only you get to decide what that “fullest” could be. It could be taking over the world or merely living a peaceful life in a small house that is yours. Or it could be both!

Just don’t let someone else decide it for you. This life is too short not to live it to the fullest.

Here’s to Timon and Pumba, to not giving a shit, to Hakuna Matata!

Cheers!