Don’t Worry: You’re Not Falling Behind
Good intentions always start with a promise. But the promise is wrapped up in reasonable excuses like “I’ll start tomorrow” and “This is the last time”. But these excuses are insidious. Soon, they slither in and sow the seeds of doubt and fear: you’ll hear yourself say things like “I’m too tired/I’m not in the right mood”, or “There’s not enough time for it”.
Eventually, those good intentions - promoting fulfilling habits that carefully tend to our inner needs and desires - get overthrown by a mutiny of bad ones. We allow subtle behaviours to self-soothe the daily stresses of 21st-century living. But these overshadow progress towards any long-term goal, dream, or ambition we’re pursuing in our lives.
Soon, a storm of shame and regret torments us. We become overwhelmed and stressed by thousands of thoughts that are rooted in one phrase: “I’m not enough.” How can we argue against this when the rest of the world is moving forward and we’re lagging behind?
Does this pattern of thinking all sound familiar?
It’s because you’re not the only one fighting this internal struggle. Although we exist in an era of convenience, modern life is far more complicated and overwhelming than it should be. Society forces us to be perfect by valuing core values like efficiency. The needle of progress always moves forward; there’s no room for anything else.
So, how can you really blame yourself for the life you’ve grown into? The world expects too much of everyone, and we’re always stuck feeling like we’re falling behind.
The world is messy. We’re all messed up as a result of it all. But it feels like no one really acknowledges it. Instead, we get caught up in relentless comparisons online: it’s always “I” vs. “everyone else”.
But there will always be an individual who’s better than you. So, how does that help your well-being? When you get entrapped in this obsessive nature of chasing someone else’s shadow, you lose all sense of yourself. Soon, you realize you’re falling behind. Your life hasn’t progressed the way you thought it might by this point. When you think a new chapter would reveal the greatest discovery to enter your life, it ultimately disappoints you by falling below expectations.
But truthfully, life isn’t a race. There isn’t a competition of “Who lives the worthiest life of all time.” Everyone’s story is different: though you may not realise it, every person has experienced different scales of progress and different timeframes for their dreams and desires.
Often, we need poignant reminders that it’s okay to just bask in what it means to exist as a human being rather than a human doing. And that idea is open to interpretation: it means whatever resonates with you!
You are allowed to exist at your own pace. You’re not living life wrong. You’re enough exactly as you are in this moment.