On new ways of living
Life is full of pre-defined paths. But what if it didn’t have to be? What if we could make each of them our very own?
Let’s take work as an example and look at the typical red thread there. First, you choose your studies and land an internship or an entry-level job. Next, you follow the instructions, learn what they ask you to, work hard, and get a promotion. Then, you get to repeat steps 3 to 6 as long and as well as you can. Finally, if you succeed, you get to pay taxes and retire before you die.
Another well-established path to what society deems as success has been defined for relationships. You find your person, start dating, and get into a relationship. If things go well, you move in together, get engaged, get married, and start a family. If you’re doing well, you’ll be going on family vacations, and your kids will graduate from good schools just to set their foot on a similarly successful path. All along the ‘right’ timeline that society defines for us too.
And don’t even get me started on who we are supposed to be as individuals, as humans. Instead of embracing, celebrating, and ENJOYING our individuality, we get a template of what we need to be to succeed in life. Society teaches us the roles we need to step in and what they should look like when done well. We get told what a promising career is and what is a lousy one. We get told how to be good partners, parents, lovers, siblings, and friends. How much money do we need to make, and how fast do we need to progress to be considered successful employees and entrepreneurs. Of course, some of these allow more room for interpretation than others, but the red thread is still there.
It is NOW that these things start to change. And it’s been about damn time.
What if I told you that you could do these things differently? When I say that, I don’t mean you need to leave your job and life as you know it and go live in the woods (which, on the other hand, you totally can, if that is what your heart desires). All I’m saying is that even if you choose to go along the pre-defined path, life can still be fun, entirely yours, and feel easy along the way.
As you would probably expect, there’s one catch.
The catch is that before the companies we work for and the society as a whole catch up with the vibe, it is up to us to create this for ourselves. And we absolutely can. The good news is, it is entirely up to us - you and me - to make this shift happen.
One step at a time. Without leaving or losing your job, without sacrificing the career and life you’ve already built. Without recklessly breaking all the rules and getting into trouble for that. Without burning out or feeling overwhelmed. None of that. You can do all that with ease.
You can do it by being yourself. But, most importantly, by defining who you truly are and what success means for you, and going for it in full.
So what do you say - shall we?
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
