The Self-Incarceration of a Generation: Two Choices That Shape Destiny

Why are so many of us so miserable?

I don’t know for sure. But it seems like everyone has their own story.

“I lost my dog when I was eight, so I can never love again.”

“I had a learning disability in elementary school.”

“I don’t have enough money to travel.”

“I don’t have the right idea to start a business.”

I’ve been miserable before. I was miserable for years. And I did what all of us do.

I allowed myself to turn into a cold, lifeless, pulseless zombie. I trudged around and went through the motions. I stopped caring.

Every time I questioned the misery or daydreamed about my desires I created a reflex to shut myself up.

“You’re not good enough for that. You don’t know enough.”

I allowed the fire inside me to whittle down into nothing more than a small flame. I took a big ol’ fire extinguisher to it.

Can you believe I even made myself feel guilty for wanting more?

I don’t truly know for sure why so many people are so miserable.

But I love examining why we do what we do and finding the patterns that are ubiquitous between each and every one of us.

If I had to venture a guess, I would say people are miserable because…

They live with regret. Daily. They know (deep down inside) they’re supposed to be doing something bigger, better, and grander.

They are self-incarcerated prisoners locked in solitary confinement. They carry a massive disconnect between their inner grandiose visions for life and their outer actual reality.

Yet, ironically, aren’t we the ones who hold the key to our own freedom?

Every day we have two choices:

1. Turn off the switch, kick back, and enjoy a predictable life of conformity—full of all the common and expected trivialities.

2. Wake up, light the fire inside, throw our bullshit beliefs away, and settle for nothing less than excellence.

Both come with their challenges.

But only one will leave you with a satisfied smile on your last day of life.

I’m not talking to the attorney at law that will happily spend 30 years working for the city.

I’m talking to you, the daydreamer. The one sitting at the office, the coffee shop, the retail store—craving, wishing, and waiting for your defining day.

Oh, yes, you know it oh so well. You’ve played it out in your mind a thousand times.

The day you show them all. The day you finally begin to see the world and start that blog. The day you say goodbye to building someone else’s dream, and start building your own. The day you write that book.

The day you finally live intentionally. Proactively. Deliberately. Purposefully.

You have purpose. You have a destiny. Every single one of us does.

“The most dangerous risk of all — the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.”

- Randy Komsar

Mine was to live a life of absolute freedom. I’m unemployable. Not even the greatest job at the greatest company in the world could help nurture my destiny.

Trust your intuition, and don’t take your moments of insight for granted. Pursue your own truth and you will see just how much more fulfilling your reality will be.

Remember: once you have this powerful realization and the decision is made, persistence and faith will only take you so far. You will need the right strategy to make your way to the top. This is only the beginning of your new journey.

Nonetheless, you have a unique advantage over everyone else. You are pursuing a greatness that is in line with your true nature.

They say there’s much less competition at the top of the pyramid.

There’s only one way to find out.

Do you have a friend who’s currently in this situation? Send them this post so they can throw some kerosene back on that fire again. If you enjoyed this, I’d greatly appreciate if you hit the recommend button below.

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Arman Assadi is founder and Chief Solopreneur at WhyILeftGoogle.com (WILG). Arman helps solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, and wantrepreneurs create more freedom and work more effectively.