One thing that has really changed how I see life, is the realization that life doesn't consist of one broad, blanket set of standards.
What makes someone happy may not add to another person's feelings of contentment.
Consumerism doesn't give you permanent joy.
Trends come and go in fashion, home decor, and toys.
New products are constantly being released, and to keep up with the latest gadgets will drive you crazy.
Other aspects of life we can build and construct until we're blue in the face.
And, on top of that, we have ideas about what is socially acceptable about our ideas.
We worry about our education, our progress in the workplace, and our kids making it to the Ivy Leagues.
Meanwhile, our stress levels are sky high, and we don't know why.
Maybe we're measuring with the wrong tools.
We are all uniquely different, and possess varying qualities that give us our interests and enjoyment.
There can't possibly be only one way to live.
This points to a very important question that must be answered.
What things do you need on a regular basis, that will bring you satisfaction and achievement, based on your own terms?
What things do you do, because you feel like you should be doing them, based on societal measurements of success?
What things are you expecting too much of yourself, with little or no rewarding return?
Why do we waste our time on things that we don't really need to be doing?
Try to list some of your needs along with your perceived needs.
Some of them might be:
- Educational success and achievement with time to learn
- The pull to create vs. the need to fulfill the activities of the status quo
- Setting realistic boundaries
- Cutting away from the tight restraints of time in order to focus on larger, more satisfying pockets of creativity and responsibility
- Enough time to enjoy beauty and nature
- The painful process of becoming yourself
- Removing the old, toxic layers of your former frame of mind
- Helping a child with special learning needs or different learning styles
- Personal interests that don't align with social standards
- Enough time to connect with spirituality, nurturing others, and healing yourself
Once you have familiarized yourself with what truly makes your life feel charged and meaningful, you can gradually begin to let go of the past and let purpose enter in.
