Failing Is Hard, So Is Being Successful. Choose Your Hard One.
Nothing is easy except making an excuse. That simple.
This research alerts to an incredible reality: having authority, being recognized and performing tasks of high performance and responsibility increases the probability of having anxiety and depression.
It is estimated that 20% of CEOs of large companies have some depressive disorder.
At the same time, this other research shows that increasing income inequality can also lead to similar disorders, especially if you are in the lower-income bracket.
This sheds light on an interesting fact about our society: everyone is dissatisfied.
The risk of living psychologically shaken seems inevitable, but why?
The Drama of Equality
Technological progress has brought longevity with it.
Refrigerators, pain relievers, cargo ships, instant communication, none of that was a reality a few decades ago.
A few centuries ago, when everyone was equaled by poverty, even the richest people in society had meager survival resources.
Even a poor person today has a means of survival superior to that of an ancient or middle-aged emperor.
However, the fact that we live in the age of accelerated technology does not make us smarter, more cultured, higher.
Quite the opposite!
With technology also come the mind-numbing features that make the most frivolous distractions our most common activity.
By comparison, living is so easy that with relatively little effort one can survive without any further problems.
On the other hand, the competitiveness for the best positions in society also increased a lot.
And so, we have a paradox that contributes to inequality: being average is relatively easy, but being at the top is extremely demanding for one person.
The Constant Comparison
Still talking about technological progress, in the last 10–20 years the accentuated use of the internet and social media has widened social differences.
In the past, changing social status was not a concern, as people knew it was impossible.
Today, this is not only possible, an ordinary citizen is bombarded with the success of others on the networks.
This causes a massive effect of cognitive bias.
With such accelerated transformations, it is normal that people do not know what they want from their lives, and end up having as a reference what they see in the media.
That is: rich, healthy, beautiful, successful people.
We don’t know the real-life behind Instagram photos and videos, for example, and the impression is always skewed. Over time, this solidifies in our minds.
A little competition is a good stimulus for those who want to change their reality. But what happens today is something beyond the ordinary.
Healing Personal Dissatisfaction
So it’s not that technology causes depression in people, it’s those small personal dissatisfactions that are heightened by the overuse of technology.
You should, yes, work hard to change what makes you dissatisfied, but be careful first.
Discover Your Non-negotiable Moral Values
A monk who takes a vow of poverty can have a full life, while a wealthy businessman who barely sees his family may feel that he is simply wasting his life. Think about it.
Certain things are non-negotiable, and it must be recognized that in the long run, making concessions in this regard will lead to outright frustration.
Compare Yourself to Someone Close to Your Level
If you have a goal, be it fitness, wealth, relationships, reference people who are slightly more successful than you.
Don’t compare yourself to someone who is too advanced, as this will make you close your eyes to the path ahead.
Victory in war is made up of victory in several small battles.
Focus on Gradual Achievements
Reflect on whether your goals are realistic within the timeframe you’ve set. It’s easy to set big goals from the comfort of your couch, but the reality comes into play when you put your plan in motion.
So focus on small things that you can incorporate into your day-to-day life little by little, and that will make you achieve something bigger in the long run.
Build Healthy Relationships
Be surrounded by people who are supportive and have values similar to your own.
The influence of the environment changes our behavior and our personality. So, if the people around you don’t drive you, consider taking a break from these relationships and looking for environments with people similar to you.
And most importantly, remember:
It Will Always Be Difficult. And That’s OK.
You already know: breaking out of inertia in the pursuit of success is painful, and will lead to failure.
Remaining successful is also painful, and your actions will have huge impacts.
- An obese person has difficulties, a professional athlete too.
- A beggar has difficulties, a CEO of a large company does too.
- A toxic relationship has difficulties, maintaining a healthy relationship too.
In all these cases madness and depression are preventable, what people need is to know what lifts their spirits.
That way, you can decide which “difficult” side you want to be on.
