But we get busy. Too busy scrolling our phone screens, watching TV, catching up with all the mundane shit in life and we forget about our dreams. We say things like “I don’t have time,” and when we get frustrated that we don’t have enough time, we assuage that feeling of impotence by buying shit we don’t need, which we think will make us feel better. Granite countertops, leather sofas, sometimes skis, climbing gear or bikes we never use. Maybe that’s because we’re scared of whatever it is we’ve been thinking about for so long, or maybe it’s easier to buy something instead of doing something. Or maybe something we saw told us our dream was something different, and we bought into that.
This really resonates with me. I posted something about the cult of busy on facebook this week.
I am certainly not immune to this - far from it - but I feel like I have a few friends who are constantly too busy to catch up, but I see LOTS of social media activity, all the time. Call me crazy, but I'd rather quality over quantity - engaging one on one with real people, than knowing a lot of people on the surface.
For me it comes down to prioritising what you want your life to be about. Sure you can spend all your time and money on things that don't really matter, or you can take things slow, spend quality time with the people you love, spend less on things you think you need so you'll have money left over for the important things like travel and lifechanging experiences.
Sure, if you want to live in a million dollar house, retire at 50 so you can play lots of golf you have to work long hours and climb to the top. But you just might die at 49.
So instead, why not work less, spend less and enjoy every year of your life, rather than holding out until you're old to quit the job you hate, the one you're only working so you can buy things you don't need to impress people who don't like you.
Coz I can tell you for certain, that at the end of your life, it won't be not quite making a big deal that you'll regret. It will be not taking enough time to enjoy what life is really about, spending time with your family and those most important to you, pursuing your dreams, making real emotional connections and expanding your mind.
That said, who am I to decide for everyone what's important in life? I'm just a kid.