dear reader,
i hope you’re super well! and i have some questions for you:
why do we try so hard to live up to standards that matter only minutely when compared to the bigger picture? why do we try so hard to be people we aren’t just to fit in? and why do we try so hard to do all this if/when in the end, it doesn’t make us happy?
everyone isn’t you.
this is the most obvious sentence i have ever written in my entire life. you know that, don’t you? (yeah, i can see you nodding your heads right now).
we live in a world where everyone tries to be something they aren’t because of this expectation that has been set that they must live up to. we think that expectation came from our parents or guardians or who we grew up around, but it actually doesn’t. it comes from society and this world where we have to be at this specific stature to be deemed successful or famous or whatever.
but when we think about it, what does success actually mean? for some, it could be happiness - being happy means they are the most successful person in the world. but for others, a lot more goes into their definition. and it doesn’t matter what our variations are really, as long as we remember that they’re all different.
everyone isn’t you, so don’t go by what everyone else wants for you. it’s not their life, it’s yours. this doesn’t mean being ignorant, though, but rather being more aware of what you really want and need and hope and dream for and strive to get there.
you define what success means to you.
this needs to be taught at a young age as it is so important that children grow up knowing they can do whatever they want to do. growing up with a mindset that being happy and enjoying what they’re doing is a success. that’s what we need to start teaching and learning and understanding.
we tend to dismiss kids’ dreams by saying “they’re too young” or other things like that when we should be cheering them on and inspiring them and getting inspired by their confidence.
it’s time we change what success means. if you’re the richest, most famous person in the world but don’t have a second for yourself or your loved ones, pretty soon, you’re going to burn out. that’s important to remember.
stop reading. seriously. stop. just answer these questions in your head first - “what does success mean to me?” and “what do i hope to do before i can’t do anything anymore?”
it’s always enough.
this is just a reminder that wherever you are right now is perfect and is enough. there’s going to be a point in time where you’re finally, completely, beautifully happy with where you are, and stopping there to live your life is not settling. it’s reaching your success.
so yes, people say to always keep going and growing, but it’s okay to stop when you’ve reached the place you want to be and take it slow. it’s okay to take a break once in a while. and it’s okay if you don’t achieve everything you’ve ever wanted at the same time as everyone else. everyone isn’t you.
don’t live by the world’s expectations and hopes of you. live by yours. chances are you’ll be happier and even more successful because that is where YOU want to be.
love and cheers,
apuroopa