Life Can Just Be Lived
I came across a post on my Instagram feed that really resonated with me. Or at least, it was something I just needed to hear. “Life can just be lived.” There’s so much underlying, obvious pressure externally to succeed and become someone amazing or worthy of recognition and praise. It feels like living life as it is at face value isn’t enough anymore which is really frustrating.
Backtrack
Think about it, back in March 2020 when the pandemic first started, what was everyone doing? Most likely you were stuck inside picking up new, obscure, and random hobbies. That was an odd period of time when everyone was totally isolated. Everything was terrifying with the pandemic, but, I noticed something else that came from it.
For those of us who were privileged enough to stay isolated without worries of income, family obligations, etc., things slowed way down. Without feeling that pressure to be doing something all the time, you actually had time to process things. Knowing that everyone was stuck in the same situation made the guilt of not doing something disappear. Or, at least this was how I felt at the time.
Life really didn’t feel as pressured during that window of time because everyone was in the same boat. We were so focused on our health, getting groceries, staying clean, finding new ways to stay in touch with friends and family, and finding new ways to pass the time. It felt acceptable by society to not be constantly doing something for once.
Showing Up
With things picking up again, I’m feeling pressured to do more. I catch myself thinking, “I really should be more accomplished by now.” Then, I’m reminded that I’m in my early twenties. Societal pressures to figure everything out have really affected younger generations. How are we supposed to get it together when we’re quite literally still in a pandemic?
This pressure to strive to be the best, to accomplish amazing things, to have every aspect of your life built out perfectly, to prove yourself, it’s all become a pile of bullshit to me. I’m too tired to pretend that I want to leave a lasting legacy. I really don’t care if I do.
Why is it that we can’t just show up and live our lives? Why does it have to be rooted in competition to leave an impression, or to be the “best?” Who are we doing all of this for? Honestly. You’ve all probably had a moment in which you were doing something and paused to ask yourself, “Wait. Why am I doing this?”
The more you stop and ask yourself if you’re doing this for your own drive and goals, or if you’re doing this for the impression it will leave on others, the better you’ll be able to decipher what’s worth it or not.
Frustration
There’s a lot of frustration when it comes to feeling unsatisfied, even in moments where you should be celebrating. It’s frustrating to feel like I’ll never be satisfied with my accomplishments. That I’ll be able to pat myself on the back ONCE I achieve the next thing.
It’s really ingrained in your mind that once you accomplish something, it’s onto the next thing. You can’t just stop and savor your efforts paying off. It really feels like you’re in a revolving door sometimes.
No wonder we’ve become a society that’s so unsatisfied by everything. If we can’t stop and appreciate our own efforts, sacrifices, and accomplishments, we’re going to expect others to think that exact same way and behave the same way.
You’re often asked in a lot of situations, “How can you be better for the next time?” How can you make sure that you’re so much better next time than you are right now?
It’s really hard to answer this question because you’re obviously in a place of wanting to continue learning and growing, but it can feel exhausting. It might also be seen as a weakness when you’re tired of thinking about the next thing.
Your Friendly Reminder
If you happen to read this, I want to remind you that it’s okay to stop and appreciate yourself. It’s so normalized in society to be unsatisfied no matter how great of an accomplishment you achieved. If you go about life thinking you’re nothing until you’re exceptional, famous, or a genius, you’ll never be happy.
I read a book called The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK that was really amazing at covering topics like this. I wrote a review on it, you should check it out here!
Stop to appreciate and enjoy what you have in front of you. Again, life can just be lived. I know that’s hard to put in practice with all the pressure these days. But, once you realize that you can choose to refute societal constructs and live life the way you want, things get easier. Or at least, you’ll be able to breathe easier.
This is something I’m still working on myself. If you have any tips on how to overcome these mental blocks let me know! I’m always open to new tips and tricks.
