Are you truly living the life you want to live?
There are many questions we ask ourselves this day and age. "What are my goals?" "Am I in control of my life?" And the most important one, what exactly is my definition of success?
While these questions can lead to a search for answers, or an endless loop of self-reflection, it’s hard to actually find the answer that suits your needs. To help with any lingering doubt that might be roaming around in your mind, I decided to put together a list of 10 personal goals every individual should have for their life.
Having the ambition to be successful is a great thing, yet it's not enough. We have to ask ourselves the bigger question: "Am I truly living the life that I want to?"
Last year I wrote an article about how we often feel trapped in our own lives. You might want to pursue a certain career path, live your life in certain ways or simply want more out of life. Why then, is it so hard to actually change and start pursuing these dreams?
The answer lies in what we believe about ourselves. Many people believe that their most important job is survival and making sure they have enough money to support their lifestyle for the rest of their days. They see their life as a job and only see the ends in the value of their work.
We forget that we have choices, that we can have control over our lives. We need to remind ourselves that there's more than one way to live and to truly explore all of them. There's more than one way to survive, there's so much more than simply living.
So what do we want from our lives?
Believe in yourself, or have someone you look up to who inspires you. Have the drive and strength to fight against the obstacles that may come your way. The journey will be a long one, and it is important to be driven enough to keep going even when the mood is low or you are tired of the struggle. Do things that make you happy or do things that let you see other people as they really are. Don't focus on getting rich or making a lot of money, but instead focus on doing something meaningful with your life. We often get caught up in our jobs, schools and legacies that we forget to have fun. Let the little things in life inspire you, whether it be a beautiful butterfly you see, or a stranger being nice to you. Let your emotions guide you and let them show who you really are. Don't forget to be thankful. You have a family, friends and a roof over your head. Don't take that for granted and don't forget to remember that others are not as fortunate as you are. Be appreciative of the things you have, and be happy with the little things in life. Be the person that you want to be. Everyone has someone they look up to in their life, whether it's their dad or mother, older brother or sister, uncle or aunt; they all have some kind of person they look up to. These people inspired them in certain ways and made them who they are today. It is important to emulate these people and become your own person by following your own passions. If you are interested in something, then go out and learn or teach yourself about it. Do whatever you can to round out your skillset. If you can't do it yourself, then find someone who knows everything or at least a little bit about the subject and ask them questions. Don't be afraid to ask people questions and try to understand new things that they have to teach you. Speak up when you see something wrong with the world around you. People may not always take your words seriously, but it is important to state your opinion no matter how many times it doesn't matter in the long run. If others around you don't agree, then there's no point in being concerned with what everyone else thinks anyway. I remember when I was younger and I saw something wrong in my neighbors yard that they were doing. I didn't bother speaking to them and instead let them deal with their own mess. If you are ever going to grow and expand your knowledge, then you have to be willing to learn from the mistakes of others. Don't live a life that is too safe or predictable. You have to try things; whether it be the sport that you played at school or a new hobby you picked up over time, just go out and do it. Life is short, so make the most of it so you can go on and live it up after. If a new opportunity comes your way, always consider it. You never know where it might lead you. That's what I love about life and growing up in this world: There are always new chances to come your way, new skills to learn and new people to meet. I remember when I was younger and I was at my friends’ house up at the lake one night with a bunch of other high school kids drinking beer. Someone started a rumor that there was going to be some kind of party that night at the public beach about 20 minutes away from us. This was not just a small rumor either, it was huge and all of the high school kids in the neighborhood knew about it. So we hopped in my dad’s car and drove to this beach that I'd never been to before. It was dark by that time and we got there expecting to be turned away. As we approached what turned out to be the beach, however, I noticed a bunch of girls sitting on some boulders that were along the beach. This included one girl who went to my school and I thought about how hard she must've worked for her spot there along with all of her friends. So, we assumed that this was the party and started walking over. Then, we heard someone yell "hey you guys wanna buy some beer?" We looked around and saw a guy sitting in his jeep and a girl with a cooler near him. I walked over and asked how much they wanted for the 12 pack of beer they had, to which the guy said $10 for all 12. That's when I realized I was at a way better party than any of the other high school kids would have been at because this beer was from one case that would have cost me about $100.
If you don't understand why we did what we did, then that's okay because it doesn't matter.
Conclusion
We have only one time to live, so it is important that we make the most of it. I am going to do my best to do as much as I can with my time and enjoy every moment that I have. It is important that you never forget this and do the same, otherwise you'll find yourself looking back and wondering what could've been. Don't let your dreams get away from you, because if you never go after them then they may not come true.