Have you ever been so obsessed with a goal that you ignored everything else around you?
Have you ever lost yourself in the pursuit of your goals?
I know I have.
Look, when you say, “the pursuit of your goals”, when you put it like that, it sounds like something we should all strive to do. But, when you think about it, you’ll see the same thing I saw.
Here’s my confession. All of my life, I’ve measured my happiness through my successes. I studied hard to get good grades and pass every exam that I needed to pass to eventually get accepted to a good college that would eventually help me find a respectable, high-paying job.
And of course, I did all of those things. I followed the masses. I did what I had to do. What was normal and socially acceptable.
But you know what? I wasn’t entirely happy.
Somehow, even after I did all of those things that were supposed to make me a better person and provide me a successful and happy future, I didn’t feel any different. That feeling of joy and fulfillment that I had been waiting for, was not there. I simply felt okay.
So, of course, I blamed everything around me. I blamed my distractions. I blamed my simple goals. I even convinced myself that my goals were not big enough to make me happy.
The worst thing I did? I blamed the people around me.
It took me a lot of time, energy and a few broken relationships to understand that I am the only person who is responsible for all of this.
How could I be so silly to expect that happiness is something that comes as a reward after achieving something big?
Happiness had nothing to do with my endless quests for success. It had nothing to do with me chasing after some pointless ideals. And, trust me, it had nothing to do with reaching a goal in order to feel better about myself.
When I think about how much time I’ve wasted on chasing after something that brought me so little, I honestly regret my choices. But, when I think about where I am now, I am honestly grateful for everything I’ve experienced so far.
My obsession with happiness made me forget that the only way I can find happiness is if I dive deep inside my soul. It distanced me from the people I love. It made me heartless. It forced me to work hard in order to show my family that I can do it. It made me look for approval from other people. It made me incapable of perceiving all the beauty around me. It made me disappointed in myself. It made me busy. It made me a prisoner of my own mind. It made me suffer.
My obsession with happiness made me unhappy.
So, here I am, sharing my life story with you and hopefully helping you.
My whole life I was convinced that it is all just a competition. I felt the need to be the best, the fastest, the fiercest of them all. And, I was terribly wrong.
If you feel the same, the only thing I can say to you is DARE TO CHANGE.
Don’t let your goals imprison you. Don’t let them exhaust you.
Being able to work hard on your dreams is an amazing thing. But there are certain things we should never forget on our quest for success. Ourselves. And what our souls need to flourish.
So, please, don’t lose yourself. Try to live in this moment as much as possible. Learn to cherish every minute of your life. Understand that you are the only creator of your life. you hold the power to change.
Start to notice the beauty around you and no matter how busy you are, always stop to smell the flowers. Listen to the wind. Watch the sun go down. Feel the breeze on your skin, and the rain on your face. Be grateful for everything this life has given you, regardless of how good or bad was it.
Learn to love yourself. Every inch of your body and every bit of your soul. Accept your flaws. More importantly, fall in love with your imperfections.
Stop chasing ideals or perfection, you’ll never find them.
Instead, accept your amazing, flawed self and start living your imperfect life.
