The fear that arises when you think about death can drive you towards all of your ambitions or paralyze you from ever starting to chase them.
I’ve experienced both.
When my head isn’t in a good place I can think nothing is worth doing because one day I’m going to die. When my head is healthy I will go after what I want with real intent for the same reasons.
Energy and perspective can change the game. There is no worse feeling than the body doing its daily chores but the soul feeling completely unfulfilled. And in the 9-5 world of hustle and bustle its easy to get caught up in ‘that’ life. When you lose the fun you lose your way.
As a teenager who started a 5 year stint at a supermarket and a short month at an insurance company I was convinced life was all about paying bills. I assumed I’d die having achieved nothing and being full of painful regrets. Luckily at the crossroads I reached I decided that I’d rather be broke and homeless than continue down a path that created depressive feelings of utter misery. I was quite aware that one more day working in insurance and I’d of jumped out the f–king 7th floor window that I used to day dream out of. When you have nothing to lose you have everything to gain.
In the 12 years since I last had a ‘normal’ employed role I’ve had a roller coaster journey that consists of some epic failures and impressive successes. But all of these challenges and experiences make me feel alive. I refuse to live a life that doesn’t contain some excitement when opening my eyes every morning. Why would you choose to be miserable? All anyone wants in life is to be happy and if you are happy you are winning.
When you play it super safe you run the risk of playing it super boring. And boredom can lead to a total burnout that leaves behind any fun and exciting thoughts that used to live inside your head.
Thinking about death has ignited a desire to do things that would not be done with such urgency if death was not inevitable. I have 6-8 holidays planned in 12 months, more than I’ve had in the last 6 years.
I’ve created a business that allows me to do the things I enjoy doing. This results in a strong work ethic that creates the finance and time to ensure I can do the things that make my soul feel good. The small things in life that make you feel good need to be multiplied and the things that create negativity and unnecessary tiredness need to be reduced. When you feel like life is a bag of sh-t then it’s simply an alarm bell telling you that something is not right and it needs changing.
Enjoyment doesn’t have to come in the form of travel, nor does it have to come through alcohol and excess food. Regular social interaction with friends and family can add value to your life as can time away from the things that distract you from your intentions.
Create a list of all the things that make you feel good and give you energy. Then create one with the things that steal your energy and make you feel bad.
Evaluate which take most of your time and then make the adjustments you need to make in order to live a happier life.
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Originally published on Mansplan. Republished with permission.
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