I have recently been having conversations regarding working and quality of life with several people in my life, whose opinions I respect very much. There are those that are a slave to the 9-5 working day, others that are making just enough to get by so they can play and enjoy life the other 4 days out of the week. There is the strong individual who is working way too hard for her age only to find that the cost of living never lets up no matter how hard you work. What about the one that just got out of college, has a degree and is now waiting tables and working part time at something she is really passionate about (that doesn't pay hardly at all) (and yes, she is one of the lucky ones)?
One of the smartest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing put it bluntly, "you're part of the working class now, you better get used to it." I had a frightening thought, what if the working world really sucks as badly as it appears? Morbid, I know. I have gone the first year out of college working jobs I have loved- for a year now... what if that isn't always the case? And then on top of that, is it really in my control to change it or am I stuck? What about when you throw relationships or my gosh, kids and house payments into the mix? You are quickly buried in a pile of important things that are dependent on your financial stability and location. How do you get yourself out of this situation if the urge every arises? Many will say, "you just don't get yourself in that situation to begin with..."- thank you Captain Obvious. I think most of us would love to have that much control and be able to change anything at any moment...however in the real world situations arise, plans change and obstacles unfold. Things do not always go as we plan, which is a beauty and a curse of living life.
My thoughts continue on the topic of how do you change your situation once you're settled in it? How do you take that step to changing it? What's the use in setting yourself up for a great life when you have no time or energy to live it? This is a classic situation that I have seen countless times lived out by people I love and people I've just met. How do you keep yourself from falling into the money wheel grind? How do you keep your life and pay for it too?
As near as I can tell, this tight rope is more precarious than Lost Arrow Spire and more frustrating than a day with no wind and no motor. What do you do? How do you do it?
Do you live modestly and just hope nothing bad happens that will send you into the grind or do you work yourself into money bag-dom knowing that "it will all be worth it someday." Do buy lottery tickets? How about marrying rich?
When did it turn into so many people hating their daily lives? Why did it get to this point? What are some little things we can do to remedy these situations and make life enjoyable on a daily basis?
You can read books on how to be happy until you are blue in the face. You can fill in that happiness hole with all the newest gizmos and gadgets that money can buy. You can even surround yourself with a bunch of really important, sophisticated people that side track you from what's missing. I'm no goddess (well okay, you got me), but I do know that masking things only works for so long. Trust me, I may be young, but been there done that.
I recently talked to a woman who works at an old folks home on the mainland. She has had the job of working with the mental health of these ladies and gentlemen, whose time on this earth is coming to a close. You know what she told me? She said the thing she heard more often than not was, I wish I had taken more chances. I wish I hadn't settled for what I settled for. I wish I had taken more time for myself and had a little more fun. It went by too quickly. I wish I could go back and take more chances. This is coming from a generation where taking chances meant you were reckless because why go out and risk it all when you would just come home with your tail between your legs? And yet, as they are living out their final days, they look back and realize it would have been worth it to take those chances. No matter what you believe, you only have this one life as you, so you might as well take advantage and enjoy it. Don't wait it out for something spectacular to happen and then wake up realizing you let your whole life pass you by. It's gone too quickly.
While I don't have the answer to what will make everyone in this world happy, if I did I truly would be the Goddess... what I can say is keep it in mind that you deserve the world and shouldn't settle for anything that makes you truly unhappy. There are always going to be obstacles that won't be particularly enjoyable, however, long term, life is too short to stay grumbly. Figure out if those gizmos and gadgets are really worth the ton of hours you spent working at a job you absolutely hate. Weigh the options. If it's worth it and it truly does make you happy, keep at it. If you wish you had the lavish lifestyle and that's what you truly want, then keep working at it, because if you want it only you will know how hard you are willing to work to get it. For the ones without work, who are just starting, or who are in a lull, keep your chin up because random wonderful things fall into your lap when you least expect it. The universe truly is chaos and some things just happen and wind up making things amazing. Don't lose hope. I think above everything else, if things aren't going your way, you just cannot ever lose hope. Those little pieces of happiness that happen every day will keep you going until something great comes your way. This does not mean sit still and wait, this is not the Tao, unfortunately this technique does not ALWAYS work. Staying positive and motivating yourself to switch out the things that make you unhappy for things that do will keep you going and if nothing else, occupy your time until the awesomeness unfolds. Stay on a mission to have a good time.
-M.
~"Everything's going to be super duper." -Marc Johns
what you wrote reminded me of this. i cling to it some days.
ReplyDelete“Hope means to keep on living amid desperation and to keep humming in the darkness.”
- Henri M. Nouwen