Current status: Living the dream!
According to Alan Watts, a British philosopher, if you had the capability to dream anything you wanted to, a dream where you had the opportunity to live a life of contentment, a life where all your wishes would come true, you will remain content with that life for a time. However, at some point contentment would turn into boredom. Consequently, one starts craving for an element of surprise. You would want to give away some control, and with time, the hunger for excitement increases. There would come a time when you would give away all control. This means you would end up wishing for the life you are currently living, because in this life, you are taking one step at a time, having no clue where it’s leading you.
As we grow up, transitioning from our school days to college lives, we are constantly tumbling and falling and picking ourselves back up again, to find ourselves getting better at adulting with every successive try. Somedays the pressure is too much. Other days, we succeed and get a good night’s sleep. There is nothing certain with what is to come but we know one thing for sure, that each day is a new challenge. Each day we try to push our limits and do something better. We strive every day to achieve that fulfilment in our lives someday. What we fail to recognize is that it’s the journey we should find fulfilment in. It’s the challenges that excite us and it’s the good days that is the fruit of it.
Oftentimes the villains of our stories are found within ourselves; the voices in our heads constantly undermining us, questioning us, making us doubt our worth at every single turn. Therefore it is not surprising that people tend to fall into the infinite chasm of overthinking. We constantly wonder ‘How life could have been, how amazing it would be to be born to royalty or how wonderful it would be to be a part of a different universe’, the one in which all our dreams come true. STOP! Obviously, you shouldn't be too ignorant of anything in life, but that does not mean you overthink every little thing. Say If an overthinker did not do so well in a test, the whirlpool of thoughts they may experience include “I am good for nothing. I couldn’t do well in one test, what if I never improve? What would happen to my future? How can I achieve my dreams if I cannot pass a measly test?”. These thoughts right there drain the positivity out of your life, preventing you from enjoying the little moments. Giving up this excess baggage will only make you feel better. Wishing you were born into some other life and had everything you wanted at your beck and call is one thing, but overthinking about it and giving it the power to make you upset and waste your energy, well that’s stupid.
As correctly quoted by William. E. Gladstone, “Be happy with what you have and are, and be generous with both, and you won’t have to hunt for happiness.”
Your life will not always be colourful, some days will feel dark and futile, but guess what? That’s the whole point! Imagine having to eat boiled food for the rest of your life. Living your so-called content lifestyle will eventually become like eating boiled food but we don’t want that. We want a little spice from our downs, a little sour from the challenges and a lot of sweetness from the strive for it all.
Being content and living a dream life is not what it is all about. It's about having a purpose and a positive mindset and determination to achieve it. In the end, even if you fail, you would end up looking back to realise that you enjoyed the journey and you are sure to miss it. Dreams seem nice only with your eyes closed. Open your eyes, embrace the reality and live the life you wish for yourself. Not someday, every day!