Have you ever wished your life was more exciting?
Have you ever looked at someone else and thought, “I wish that could be me?”
Do you ever feel like you haven’t done anything meaningful with your life?
Of course, you have. Everybody has.
Does this surprise you? The thought that everybody might be thinking the exact same thing you are? That everybody wishes they could be something else – do something else with their lives? Pursuing the dream of making themselves more exciting or legendary?
It shouldn’t. It’s probably more common than you’d think.
Now, this isn’t to say that everybody is unhappy with themselves. There are plenty of people out there that are more than content being who they are. But at some point, no matter how satisfied they are with their personal lives, a thought like this will pop up.
And you know what? That’s completely normal.
We make a habit of focusing on little soundbites, or snippets, of other people’s lives and imagining what it would be like to spend a day in their shoes. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have climbed a mountain, studied with monks in a foreign country, and explored the ruins of some ancient and long-lost civilization? Sure! These snippets did what they were meant to do – sell an image. But this is somebody else’s life – their accomplishments. It sounds exotic and adventurous, but that’s not necessarily who you are. And the whole story may paint an entirely different picture that’s not what you were led to believe. In the process of envying others’ experiences, we can easily forget who we are and how we got to where we are now. All too often, we fall into familiar patterns and routines that make it hard for us to see that the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere. Through all the tales that are being tossed your way, it’s important to remember that you have a lot more going on than you’d think.
Now, you might be sitting there, reading this with your cup of coffee in hand, and thinking I’m completely nuts. And maybe, you wouldn’t be entirely wrong. But take a moment and put some of the highlights of your life into snippets as I did for Mr. Adventure just a few moments ago. No? Ok, I’ll go first.
- I’ve stared down a bear.
- I’ve served in the Army and got to see a lot of cool places
- I’ve met the Dutch Royal Family
- I’ve stood on the beaches of Normandy
- I’ve explored the jungles of Costa Rica
- I’ve gone swimming with sharks
- I’ve been dog sledding in the Northwest Territories
- I’ve travelled over the ice roads
- I have one of the largest collections of dinosaur fossils in Northern Alberta
Sounds neat, doesn’t it? Well, maybe some of it. I think it sounds relatively impressive now that I’m looking at it. And I’ll tell you that every single thing I’ve said here is true. These are all a part of who I am in some way. Does any of this sound interesting? Is there anything there that makes you wonder what it would be like to be me? Do you think I live an exciting life?
Before you answer those questions, I want you to take a moment and do what I did. Choose a few moments from your life and summarize each of them into one single short sentence. I’m willing to bet that you’ll be surprised with just how many impressive things you’ve done with your time on this planet. In the end, the only thing that matters is what you’ve done, not what somebody else has done. Put lists like mine out of your mind. You’re more epic than you give yourself credit for. Find joy, excitement, and adventure in your own accomplishments and experiences. They’re a big part of what makes you, you!
This is your story.
Own it.
Image credit: IosifChezan
The CJBuzz 