Disclaimer : I don’t necessarily follow what I preach, but I surely try to :)
We have a lot of desires that almost never get any attention from us. Exercising, running, walking, jogging, hiking, reading, blogging, taking that small course you’ve always wanted to, etc. Most of these desires bug us when we look back at our lives in hindsight, but not when you’re actually not doing them. I regret I’ve not exercised last year. I regret I’ve not taken that course. I regret I’ve not been working on my diet. I regret that I haven’t read a single book last year. The list again goes on. If you ever get a chance to look back, your regrets are almost always things you never did.
The reason is simple : Most of the small things that you’ve not done weren’t really the best things you could have been doing then. You could be spending that time with family, or coding, or watching that latest drama on TV, or cook that dish you’ve always been craving for. We always strive for instant gratification. This instant gratification almost becomes a way to justify your power, or status, or worthiness. But then, the real question becomes justification to whom? The answer is unfortunately the outside world. Don’t agree?
Let’s take at what people mean when they say what they say.
I watch Game of thrones on HBO, and a bunch of SITCOMs on various channels
What it really means : You’re rich enough to afford a HBO subscription and COMCAST.
What it really really means : You don’t have a value for time.
My wife spends a lot.
What it really means : I earn a lot.
What it really really means : Your wife spends.
My kids are spoiled.
What it really means : I am rich enough to spoil them
What it really really means : You’ve spoiled them.
I spend a lot of time with family
What it really means : Despite me earning a lot, being rich and busy, I still make time for family. So here’s something I have that you don’t.
What it really really means : Nice excuse for not working on your dreams.
It’s high time we stop validating ourselves based on what we want others think of us, and start exploring ways to find true meaning of our existence and what it is that we are here to do. Because here’s the hard truth: People don’t give a damn about what you do or who you are. Not even a bit. Not unless it impacts them positively or negatively. Not even when they truly care about you. Because when they do, they wouldn’t really worry about who you are or what you do. They just want to see you happy and doing things that you’ve always wanted to.