1. You're comparing yourself to other people way too freakin' much.
Ever have this happen? You're going about your day, doing your thang, you're feeling alright... hell, you might even be having a great day, when BING-BANG-KA-POW! you see somebody post a Facebook status about how they're saving orphans in a third world country, while working on their start-up non-profit and oh yea, this weekend they spent a few hours scaling the mountains of Picachu that up until now have never been explored by modern man. Phhhffffft. That's the sound of your sails, your ego and your mojo deflating.
Life is not a competition. And if you insist on looking at it as such, you're going to be a hamster on a wheel chasing someone else's dream day-in and day-out without any real idea what you're working towards. Believe me and my incredibly sore legs. If you're an aggressive, masochist (not that I'm speaking from experience or anything), then might I suggest a little flip of the switch, if it's gotta be a competition, treat it as one with yourself and no one else. What are you going to do today that scares you? Gets you closer to your goal? Moves you? Stretches you? Pushes you towards that precipice you've only been brave enough to tip toe around until now. Forget everyone else, clear them out of your head and determine what you need to roll in to your grave feeling supremely, bad-assedly content without anyone else's standards imposed upon you.
That is what you need to focus on. Not that perfect bitch who is saving dolphins, or were they babies? Quit putting your energy where it doesn't belong and take it from someone much wiser than myself, Teddy says it best:
Life is not a competition. And if you insist on looking at it as such, you're going to be a hamster on a wheel chasing someone else's dream day-in and day-out without any real idea what you're working towards. Believe me and my incredibly sore legs. If you're an aggressive, masochist (not that I'm speaking from experience or anything), then might I suggest a little flip of the switch, if it's gotta be a competition, treat it as one with yourself and no one else. What are you going to do today that scares you? Gets you closer to your goal? Moves you? Stretches you? Pushes you towards that precipice you've only been brave enough to tip toe around until now. Forget everyone else, clear them out of your head and determine what you need to roll in to your grave feeling supremely, bad-assedly content without anyone else's standards imposed upon you.
That is what you need to focus on. Not that perfect bitch who is saving dolphins, or were they babies? Quit putting your energy where it doesn't belong and take it from someone much wiser than myself, Teddy says it best:
2. You're letting a past choice mess with - or worse - dictate your present (which also screws with your future, btw).
I said I've screwed up a bunch, right? I'm a pro on this one. So you made some bad choices, you did some stupid shit, you may have even really hurt some other people, or worst of all, you may have really disappointed yourself in epic ways. It happens. Life is messy and it sure as shit isn't easy. And you know what, I'm not even a believer that life is beautiful, but there are parts of life that are really unbelievably rad - and yes - beautiful.
Here's my favorite one: every single second you get to reinvent your life. Every... single... second... zzzziiiip there goes another one, zzzzzinng here comes another one! You get to make choice after choice after choice and reinvent your story more times than the one and only, Madge (that's Madonna for those of you not in the know). A simple and powerful truth you've got to force yourself to actively practice is this: your past does not dictate your present and it does not hold power over your future but that is ONLY and I stress ONLY IF you make the conscious choice to kick your past in to the rear view mirror and leave it there.
Learn what you were meant to learn, don't be a glutton for pain, and move the fuck* on. You keep dragging it forward it's going to repeat itself in your here, now and future. And you deserve a life that's a hell of a lot better than some nagging backseat driver who can't handle you taking the turns with the windows down and the radio up.
I said I've screwed up a bunch, right? I'm a pro on this one. So you made some bad choices, you did some stupid shit, you may have even really hurt some other people, or worst of all, you may have really disappointed yourself in epic ways. It happens. Life is messy and it sure as shit isn't easy. And you know what, I'm not even a believer that life is beautiful, but there are parts of life that are really unbelievably rad - and yes - beautiful.
Here's my favorite one: every single second you get to reinvent your life. Every... single... second... zzzziiiip there goes another one, zzzzzinng here comes another one! You get to make choice after choice after choice and reinvent your story more times than the one and only, Madge (that's Madonna for those of you not in the know). A simple and powerful truth you've got to force yourself to actively practice is this: your past does not dictate your present and it does not hold power over your future but that is ONLY and I stress ONLY IF you make the conscious choice to kick your past in to the rear view mirror and leave it there.
Learn what you were meant to learn, don't be a glutton for pain, and move the fuck* on. You keep dragging it forward it's going to repeat itself in your here, now and future. And you deserve a life that's a hell of a lot better than some nagging backseat driver who can't handle you taking the turns with the windows down and the radio up.
3. You're not happy enough. Worse yet, you think unhappiness is normal.
John knew it and so does the Dalai Lama, what the hell is the point of being here at all and exerting all of this energy if we're miserable as fuck?**
John knew it and so does the Dalai Lama, what the hell is the point of being here at all and exerting all of this energy if we're miserable as fuck?**