The Challenge To Strive Higher In Life
I’m not sure how you feel about pushing yourself to new heights, but I suspect that most of us are scared of taking risks in exchange for a chance at a better life. When I look around I see more people displeased with their current situation than ever before. It seems that we have become nations of corporate slaves, working our butts off for a meager salary. We have forgotten to live life like it is meant to be – in enjoyment, without consistent stress to pay the next bill.
Somewhere along the way when we invented new technologies we have started to dig a bottomless pit of despair that forces us to be slaves to the system in a seemingly free world.
When you really think about it, you realize that you ARE NOT free. In fact you are forced to go to work every single day if you want to stand a chance of living life with certain standards. Standards that society forces on us mind you.
But what are standards anyway?
We strive for bigger homes, faster cars, more money and what not so that we can buy more things that end up clogging our style. Then every so often we decide our home is full of clutter and out goes the old. But instead of keeping our environment free of clutter we keep buying stuff in search of bigger and better things, and before long we are in the exact same position once again. Only now do we have a little more to show off.
Why have we forgotten how to live life to its fullest?
It seems to me that in the race to “acquire” shiny things we have lost our ability to communicate with each other and instead of communicating on a deeper level with our loved ones we are merely spending time – or should I say wasting time?!
How come we stick our kids in front of the TV for hours at the time instead of playing some card games with them? Why are we so fascinated with games that makes us numb in the mind? Why do we have to work our asses off for a supposedly good lifestyle when in reality we don’t have a life at all. At least not a life that is worthy of being called a life.
Does the meaning of being alive allow us to numb our innermost core by burying our minds and souls in worthless and meaningless activities. It seems to me that we spend a lifetime with just “getting by” because everybody else does the same thing. We settle for less than we deserve!
We sit in front of the TV 24/7, we have to have the latest gadgets to be accepted by society and we lost the art of communication and respect for each other. Plus we are forever rushing from one place to the next. We lost the ability to care for our elders and become nations of non caring individuals rather than the compact and happy families we used to be in the past.
If you have ever visited pacific islands where time has seemingly stood still you know what I mean when I say that these people know so much more about life in general despite their shortcomings on a technological level.
What if?
Wouldn’t you rather trade years of slaving away for a boss in exchange for a little less “status”. Wouldn’t it be more fun to actually enjoy each other in a partnership/family by doing quality things together rather than bustling in all directions because we have to earn more money to indulge into our fantasy desires.
I can tell you honestly that I’m at yet another point in my life when I’ve had enough. I’m sick of waving my husband goodbye each morning to see him go to work and him not returning home until late each night. He is wasting his life away because he doesn’t know otherwise. It is time you are getting a friendly nudge to really analyze whether you are doing the same thing to yourself. Is whatever you strive for worth the pressures and stress you currently endure?
Life is supposed to be simple right?
Whatever happened to a simple life, free of the financial stresses of paying mortgages and what not. Every day that goes by without having the chance to life live like it was meant to be is a waste of time for me and therefore I’m pulling all my strings now to change this once and forever.
Since I can do only so much myself in terms of income generation without working myself to illness I’ve been looking for ways to earn residual income to allow us to simplify our life and claim it back.
We all deserve more than we are currently worth and quite frankly, your transformation to a better life starts in your mind. If your mind isn’t willing to accept that YOU are better than you are currently paid, then you will never achieve your dreams.
I’m striving for a better life with less stress and more freedom and I know that I’ll get there one day. Are you going to join me or will you keep doing what you do right now?
Monika
About the Author: I'm a passionate freelance writer and problogger. To further build my business I'm also in the process of building my own niche empire which pays me residual income.
Venkat | Apr 5, 2009 | Reply
Hi Monika,
Thank you for the post.
I don’t remember when I stopped living and started just existing. My problem was always living in the future and ignoring the present. Meditation did help me realize that once you make a habit of living in future which is just a dream, your brain loses its ability to experience and appreciate the present and then at that point you stop living and start existing.
But fortunately, a little bit of discipline and the right group of friends can help you live. We always remember our childhood fondly because thats when we lived completely in the present and that is why we can still remember the touch of our dolls and toys, the smell of the grass in our backyard, and the soft fur of the dog, and many more experiences which are imprinted into us. I am with you.
kazari | Apr 5, 2009 | Reply
I’ve been reorganising my life to make this happen. I think a big part for me is an awareness of needing less stuff. That comes first. My take away lesson from “Your Money or your life” has been to ensure my spending is in line with my values.
After that, things made more sense. I put aside money to go back to school, and I’ve taken my full time job to four days a week. This gives me a whole day to write and study, which is BLISS.
It is more stressful, but GOOD stress – to be handing in assigments, and putting pressure on myself to write, to see it’s a viable option to me. So life is not necessarily simpler, but it’s much, much better.
Monika | Apr 5, 2009 | Reply
@ Venkat: Thank you for stopping by and sharing your views on the subject. You’ve made some really good points in regards to living life in the future and meditation. But what was amazing is how you NAILED the way we life in our childhood. I think that was bordering on genius because what you said is spot on!
My husband and I often reminisce about our childhood and how back then we didn’t have the responsibilities we have today. It was a blissful life really, and trying to recreate it in adulthood is near impossible if you ask me. Even by being young at heart we cannot escape the call of society and if we do we get labeled as hippies and what not.
Monika | Apr 5, 2009 | Reply
@ kazari: It is good to hear you’ve made some space for what is important to you by cutting back on your workload and making room for your passions. It takes guts to do this but like you I agree in saying that even though it can be more stressful at times it does give us a new lease on life overall because we love what we do.
What you said about making sure that our spending is in line with our values is worth a fortune in fees saved for a life coach is you ask me. It has been a mantra for my husband and I for all of our lives so far and served us well in regards to being able to travel the world. In the end we have to allow ourselves to live the life of our dreams because not doing it would destroy our souls.
Venkat | Apr 6, 2009 | Reply
Monika,
Yes you are right; we get of course labeled as hippies if we behave like children. No it is not about behaving like a child but is about experiencing and appreciating the present. We forget that today is the day we dreamt about yesterday and worry about tomorrow. And when tomorrow comes (I hope it comes), we neglect it worrying about the next day.
Looking forward is necessary for a responsible adult but looking forward with worry in the eyes neglecting the present was wrong on my part. And making this a habit was more than stupidity.
Somewhere I read the quote “life is like a cup of tea, you have to enjoy the aroma, experience the warmth of the cup, then slowly sip, when you sip the warmth stimulates your taste buds, and then slowly drink the tea experiencing the taste. But if you were thinking while drinking the tea…you wouldn’t have experienced the tea and the cup would be empty.”
We always work for a bigger cup of better tasting tea and provide it for our children. In the process we should not forget the cup in our hand at present. But the problem lies in our minds. Once we set our mind on bigger and better tasting tea, the mind refuse to enjoy the one which are having with us now. I don’t have the solution but do think meditation gives me the ability.
Brett Legree | Apr 6, 2009 | Reply
“If you have ever visited pacific islands where time has seemingly stood still you know what I mean when I say that these people know so much more about life in general despite their shortcomings on a technological level.”
That says it all, the way I see it.
When we ate lunch at Mudbrick on Waiheke Island (NZ), I offered to trade places with the server.
I was serious. I’d rather have been a server at a winery restaurant on that small island in the Hauraki Gulf than do what I do at work right now.
Simple.
All the stuff we buy – just stuff.
A simple house by the water, sunsets every night. A glass of wine.
That’s all I want. I know I will get it.
Venkat | Apr 6, 2009 | Reply
Brett,
It is great to know what you want and being sure of getting it.
I would like to share some of my thoughts. Surely this is not for you because you know what you want but for the people who think being a server at a winery restaurant would be better than what their are doing now. I was always intrigued by the secret of happiness. Is it within or without. Is it the external environment which makes us happy or is it our internal environment.
I deduce from my observation that there are two levels of happiness one which is influenced by our circumstances which is shortlived depending on the experience like the level of satisfaction my new car gives diminishes everyday. The other type of happiness which I would like to call joy comes from within. I get up early in the morning sometimes feeling good and sometimes bad without any good external reason.
Discussing about this joy is not in the scope of this comment box of Monika
, but we are not even being true to our desires. We desire new stuff, we buy it, we get bored, and desire for a different new stuff. It is our inability to cherish the stuff which we desired for so much is what makes us be unhappy in the normal day to day life.
Monika | Apr 6, 2009 | Reply
@ Venkat: Oh I love the way you describe our lack of ability on enjoying the present while worrying about the past and the future. I’ve actually seen a really good quote that sums this up perfectly but in the life of me can’t remember where I found it.
Thanks for the awesome contribution! You certainly get those brain cells working once again.
Monika | Apr 6, 2009 | Reply
@ Brett: Yes you will, keep your focus on those dreams and one day you will cry with joy about having made it a reality. I’m like you. In the past I bought so much “crap” of which I thought it was a necessity at the time. Now my house is full of “stuff” I hardly even look at or enjoy. I used to dream about the big mansion or the fast car, but today I have learned that NOTHING replaces happiness, freedom, health and love.
I rather have all of those than millions in the bank or an apartment in every corner of the world. This doesn’t mean I wouldn’t enjoy enough money to afford myself a lifestyle in which I call all the shots and not the government, some boss or the phone company. This coupled with a simple lifestyle is what I aim for these days. No more mortgages, no more worries about bills because all we do is buy stuff along the way.
Brett Legree | Apr 8, 2009 | Reply
@Venkat,
Thank you for sharing that – I used to chase the expensive things, and then I had children – then I learned what was important to me.
@Monika,
That really is it – the freedom especially for me. And I like to work – the best kind for me is something where I can directly see someone enjoying the product of my work. I will do that again.
The restaurant tie-in is important to me, part of my plan is to open a cafe of sorts.
Monika | Apr 9, 2009 | Reply
@ Brett: If you dream of opening a cafe then you will find ways to do exactly that. I know you mentioned to run one in NZ before and knowing you you will get there eventually. Keep those dreams alive because without them we’d wilt like vegetables.
Brett Legree | Apr 9, 2009 | Reply
@Monika,
I believe that I will too. Did I ever tell you about it? The picture in my avatar, that is Waiheke Island. I want to open a cafe there. A sort of nerve centre for us. A cafe out front, other businesses in the back, living space up above. I have a vision of it in my head.
Monika | Apr 10, 2009 | Reply
@ Brett: Yes you did tell me. Keep this vision strong and you will be surprised what will happen. There is a cool software out there too which allows you to create your own “vision” movies. Buggered I am for not remembering the name though. ;(
Brett Legree | Apr 10, 2009 | Reply
@Monika,
I had a look for some stuff on vision movies, and I found specialized software that would do that, as well as a few articles on how to create your own using free software (Windows Movie Maker, for instance).
I think I will give it a go!
Monika | Apr 11, 2009 | Reply
@ Brett: I bought some vision movie software last year but never used it – “guilty”. It is somewhere on my computer and like you I have to devote myself to do create a vision movie because it really inspires. Years ago I created my own vision board and it is stuck to the side of my refrigerator. Every time I walk by I look at it and it makes me smile.
Brett Legree | Apr 11, 2009 | Reply
@Monika,
Don’t feel bad, I have quite a few programs I have bought and never used! Oh well, at least the developer gets to eat and we still have the software.
I have a nice vision board too, and I carry a miniature version of it with me in my pocket (I took a picture, and then printed it on an index card!)
Monika | Apr 11, 2009 | Reply
@ Brett: Wow, I LOVE your idea about the print out of your vision board. Why didn’t I think of that myself, tsk, tsk. I’m going to do this myself now and stick it in my Moleskine. Uh so exciting.
Brett Legree | Apr 12, 2009 | Reply
@Monika,
It sure does work for me. When I’m sitting in yet another dismal meeting at work, I just look at the mini-vision board and I smile
Good luck with it – I think if we carry it everywhere, we can’t fail.
Melody | Apr 19, 2009 | Reply
Well..we’ve been programmed to think that this is the lifestyle this is attainable for everyone and that it is one that everyone wants–the money..the cars..the house..
What true happiness is seems to only be a matter of a opinion
Monika | Apr 19, 2009 | Reply
@ Melody: You are right. We all perceive happiness in different ways. If you grew up with the mindset that you can achieve anything you desire then you are miles ahead on the rest of the population because most of us hear nothing but “you can’t do this”, “rich people are evil”, “you shouldn’t dream of things you can never have”.
To be quite frank, being conditioned to think like THAT is BAD. We end up cutting ourselves short for the rest of our lives. I sincerely wish they’d teach this kind of philosophy to school kids. It is more important than learning about history and stuff.
Friar | Apr 22, 2009 | Reply
I agree that it sucks having to leave the house and go work at a job you don’t like, in order to support yourself.
I admit, my dream is to eventually be able to write and work from home doing what I like. And not have to go to the office every day.
Sure, we can all get by on less. But if that were the case, then why don’t we all just live in one-bedroom basement apartments and live off of Ramen noodles?
Theoretically, we should all be happy with that..it’s what’s INSIDE that counts, not how much stuff we have, right?
I also wonder how many people like us the economy can support, if we all stay home and just exchange information on the internet.
Who would be out there farming the fields, stocking the shelves, making widgets at the factory and administrating the paperwork?
Sooner or later, SOMEONE’s gotta do it!
Monika | Apr 24, 2009 | Reply
@ Friar: Very true and I totally agree with you. The idealism of being your own boss sounds great in theory, but in practice it will never be feasible and practical for most people on the planet. Not everyone strives to be their own boss, in fact, most people shy away from the very idea of having no regular paycheck or being totally responsible for their own actions.
Therefore there will never be a situation where all of us are online and the economy will have to support us doing so. In fact, I believe that I contribute to the economy quit extensivley by eating out each week, taking trips to the local coffee shop, shopping for groceries, buying health insurance, traveling, etc.
Most people I know can hardly afford a regular outing at a nice restaurant or coffee shop.