Hello! Welcome to my first post, my first time publicly sharing my thoughts.
Sometimes it is easy to get sucked into feeling confused or one type of way in the world today. From anger to sadness, or derived from the world of technology and current events.
There are things happening all around us that makes it easy to get stuck in a poor mindset. Sometimes, I feel like my brain is a hamster on a wheel, focused on that one thing that set the narrative for my mood on a bad day. I think that it is easy to fall into these habits because at times, it seems like the most comfortable option with the chaos in the world from wildfires, floods, to just trying to get through the day. Sometimes it might feel easier to ignore the bigger issue or confront our true feelings. But life is complicated and chaotic at the very core of its nature.
According to stoicism, we need to change the things that are in our control, and accept what we cannot.
If a specific situation is harboring your anxiety and makes it feel like the walls around you are caving in (or you simply feel unhappy), take yourself out of that situation. It is not worth the space it can take in your head. You see, we all understand life is short and sometimes you only catch a glimpse of time sliding by when you realized you left high school 15 years ago. It can honestly be quite terrifying. The best thing you can do is reach for your goals – happiness, a family, a home, or maybe your goal is to travel across countries in a bus.
If you don’t start now, why?
I think that everyone is capable of achieving their goals. I think that if more of us realized the time and energy a sad, stressed, or angry mind takes up, we could turn it more quickly into something so great. It can be difficult at times to flip that switch, but it’s worth it to work towards a hopeful and rational mindset.
So, what about this?
Breathe. Take a step back. There’s no magic spell I can give you that will just plop a house in your hand. We have to start small. Set little goals for yourself throughout the week. Get out of bed? Check.
Trip to the grocery store? Check.
Get a car wash? Check. (Once that confidence in yourself has started to grow, you can start thinking bigger. Good job!)
Plan a trip to get out of town for a little bit? Check.
Save for that concert ticket? Check.
Do at least one thing each day that sparks some joy for myself?
Check.
At the end of the day or in 10 years, did you build a life that gave you happiness? I hope that you spent time living to your fullest potential. After all – we were not born to work constantly or be on our feet constantly, we were born because we are simply living and breathing beings.
Go dance in the rain or buy chalk and draw flowers on your sidewalk or the road, or take a long nap. Read that book that has been on your shelf for the last couple years that you’ve been “meaning to get to.”
Whatever it is, just do something that makes you feel good about being alive.