From a young age, we are told that we must not stop working hard or running in the race of life with the world because if we stop and become stagnant, we will be crushed in this stampede. I agree with this- it is important to not become stagnant and to keep moving forward. It is important that we strive for improvement and excellence in whatever area we wish to become good in or pursue and for that, we must keep working hard. However, a little time back, I felt that this need to keep moving forward and advance to a new and better level, and to keep growing better to achieve a bigger goal after some period of time was weighing me down and then I observed that this pressure was dragging down many others around me and was suffocating them from within.
I am a big believer in moving on and working constantly to fulfill your goals and to live a good life, but I also believe that every once in a while, it is perfectly alright to slow down a little and not move just as much. Sometimes, you feel extremely stressed and exhausted from working hard and need a break, but if you keep abiding by the rule of 'constantly moving on', you are likely to push yourself forward and then become extremely exhausted and drained in the process. I know this because I have been through this. Over the past 6 months, I have worked hard strenuously day in and day out and I used to sacrifice my sleep in the process. Then I realized that I was actually harming my body and it was okay if I did not achieve my goal as planned or if I slowed down a bit and took more time to fulfill my goal because achieving something does not have to make me lose my sleep and feel like a zombie. So I started to slow down a bit and take better care of myself.
Not only that, but I also feel that it is not everyone's wish and genuine desire to be the best at everything or to achieve high excellence in something. A farmer may just be happy with cultivating a few crops each year and may not want to expand his farm. That does not mean he does not support progression and does not know how to live a good life. It means that for him, progress is about enjoying what he has and if that satisfies him, it is perfectly fine.
About 3 months back, my husband showed me a fantastic speech by Arnold Schwarzenegger that talked about the importance of setting big goals for yourself and then giving in your all to achieve them. It was very moving and inspirational and I loved it. My husband then said, 'Sharoon, you do not strive to be the best at something, why is that? You know you could be amazing because you have such great potential, but you do not strive to be the best. If you want to be a motvitational speaker and writer, you should strive to be the best at it. You just don't have that drive and that's why you'll always be mediocre.'
Those words really hit me and I was like 'Yeah, I do not strive to be the best at something and that's not good.' It did make me feel bad that maybe I wasn't working as hard as I should and made me set and pursue a goal that I didn't really feel about. While doing that, I heard a constant voice from within that encouraged me to revisit that goal and analyze it in an unbiased manner to see if it was really my goal. It wasn't my inner critic because that voice did not say I couldn't do something. During that same time, I came across a lot of content and instances that highlighted the importance of feeling connected to your goal and setting a meaningful goal so you feel passionate about achieving it. I felt it was the universe giving me signs to really dig deep into my goal and explore it.
When I assessed it and my feelings for it, I realized it was really not something that I truly wanted. I wanted financial independence and abundance and happiness and wanted to be a great writer and speaker that made a difference, a positive one, in the lives of people but I did not want to be the best speaker in the whole wide world. It wasn't really my goal and I also realized that it was okay to not have that goal. It is simply okay to not want to be the best at everything and move at a certain pace and even slow down completely for a while.
You know, you do not have to be a part of the rat race going on in the world if that's not what you want. You do not have to wish to be a millionaire or the best singer in the world if that's not what you truly want. Being good enough at something is okay too and if slowing down makes you happy, so be it. Accept it and embrace it- you need to be happy for yourself and not to prove something to the world. So if you feel happy with working just a little and having what you can easily manifest, that's perfectly fine. If you do not want more, it is okay. You do not have to want more just because everyone else wants more- just be happy for yourself and work at a pace that suits you even if it means you have to move at the pace of a sloth. Haha.
Do share your views on the topic please. Your support is what keeps me going.
Love and light,
Sharoon.
I am running a writing contest with 5SBD up for grabs for the winner so if any of you would like to participate in it, click on the following link:
Shary's Writing Prompt Contest #4 and Results of Contest #3
Here are some of my articles that may interest you:
What is Matriarchy? What Do You Think a Matriarchal Society would Look Like- @ecotrain QOTW
How to Keep Your Eyes on the Goal...
A Discovery I made about Myself with Self-Awareness...
Celebrate the Inner You- Happy Women's Day!
When Things Don't Go as Planned...
After Deep Darkness Comes a Beautiful Dawn...
Something to Think About- Issue #4: A Selection of Amazing and Enjoyable Curated Posts
Stop Listening to People and Focus on Yourself
Listen More, Feel More and Experience More to Become More Aware and Wise...
How Positive Stereotypes can Make Life Difficult
Why is it so Hard to Apologize for Your Own Wrongdoings??
Confessions of a People Pleaser...
To Sleep or Not to Sleep, that is the Question....
Parents- Guiding Lights or Dictators?
One Smile and a Deep Breath to Quickly Fight Stress
Why I am Grateful for My Hardships...
Why Do We Attach Unnecessary Meaning to Everything??
Why is it Okay to Be a Little Selfish, Focus on Your Needs and Communicate them to Loved Ones
Batman & Jesus: Why do we fear debate?
My Scar Stories- Reminders of Many Different Memories
I am a part of the wonderful @ecotrain that aims to make this world a better place so do join it if that's your aim too..
Life isn't just about just jumping on an express train to fulfill your goal. Slowing down is a process for everyone to realize what's going on with the surrounding, give us time to reflect and think twice before we act. I really enjoy reading this. Good job, Sharron :)
What a lovely comment! Life definitely isn't about jumping on a fast train and moving from one goal to another- it is important to have things in perspective and enjoy the journey. Thank you for the appreciation. :)
I needed to read this, this morning and thank you for sharing your perspective. At times we can all find ourselves in this situation of wanting it all, but you're right in saying that do we really want or need it? I suppose we all just need to dig deep from time to time and assess it.
Aww I am happy it made you feel better. How are you feeling now? Hope things are becoming calmer and better for you.
Yes, we need to ask ourselves about the importance and need of that thing in our lives so we pursue only things that are our genuine needs and even desires.
Thank you @sharoonyasir ❤. Feeling much better. I still have my on and off days and I'm finding that interacting on Steemit is helping me a lot as there is just so much inspiration and motivation here. It helps me to keep moving forward 😀.
I am glad Steemit is lending you a hand in feeling better. Just focus more on the moment and you'll get there. We all have our off and on days.
I'm burned out at work. Taking a vacation for a day or two doesn't seem to work anymore. Maybe I need a longer vacation. A work balance is what I aim for. Taking photos is what really makes me happy. Thanks for this 😊
Aww yeah maybe you do need a longer vacation. Have a 2 week one then and unwind. Good luck and thank you for the lovely comment. :)
Since young I was so used to being no.1 that striving for excellence has become a part of me. Until I realise it depletes my joy to a certain level when stress becomes real. Then Jansen comes along. My 2nd son whom has a condition if you remember. I could not help but to be a stay-at-home muddling with a mundane job as a 'nurse' to him handling all the medical stuff. At 1 point, Infelt defeated watching others strive for excellence in the rat race while I was behind the door gradually losing sight. But as years pass by, I learn that it is okay to not be the max excellence, but to enjoy every minute happy moment at home. I am happier now and less stress. Stumbling upon Steemit helps alot. It forces me out of cocoon and while juggling things around the house, I get to blog and connect with people when I am free. And have my voice be heard by new found friends here such as you. However, need to remind myself steemit is not another rat race for me so I am cruising with my own pace here as well. Would not want to be a stressful woman. I know when it is going to happen. I love what you have been writing. It always relate. Just wish I have more time you know. ☺
Jadeline, I wanna hug you so hard right now. Of course, I remember Jansen, his condition and the post you did on it. While I am sorry he and your family had to go through a tough time, I am so proud of you and Jansen for taking it so strongly and for turning an adversity into a time to bond together and love each other more. Slowing down sometimes or even often is the best way to unwind and get better perspective of things. I have been doing the same and it is really relaxing me. And yes I can relate to your feeling of wanting to have more time. We're in the same boat sister from another mister. Love you!
I have been on both sides of this working so hard to achieve goals I did infact achieve but I was so drained and so boring as all I could focus on was the goal
I now try to maintain a balance and do set myself goals but both hmmm shall I say performance goals but also personal well being goals
Life’s to short to becso focused on goals that your not enjoying the journey
Yes, life is definitely really short to not enjoy the journey so I try to make the most of it. So happy to see you here. <3
Always a pleasure :)
Sometimes we are living a dream life of someone else, but the thing is, it's still a dream. I see parents do that when they force their kids to study the courses they failed at. Society prescribes us dreams that we think we ought to pursue, but that's not always what we have inside our hearts. Which is why you can see successful people who committed suicide, or millionaires battling depression.
Carving some time this weekend to really find out what you want, may just be the best weekend you've had in a while. When rowing a boat, the time the oars spent out of the water is equally as important as when it's in.
What you said above is so beautiful. Love this analogy! Thank you for the words of wisdom you said up there. This is completely what I believe in and tried to convey in my post.
It was a lesson from a coach after seeing I don't have the proper down times. Truth is, even if you enjoy your work, doing it for prolonged hours and days will force your mind into tunnel vision, narrowing your creativity in the process. Taking a step back (or four, depending on how long you've been in that mode) can be a good thing, so you can refocus on the big picture!
Everything you say is a quote on its own. Wow!
So glad that you are making the space for yourself to slow down and ask what is the most important to you. Thanks also for the reminder about slowing down. I have the tendency to want to keep moving forward with my goals but its good to also stop, unwind and relax and enjoy that downtime :)
Okay I have been meaning to say it to you before, but somehow I felt a little silly saying it so here it goes: You are really hot! Hahaha yeah, now on to your comment. I am glad to slow down a bit every once in a while as well as it really helps me get things into perspective. Secondly, I am glad this post reminded you to do the same too. Moving forward is great but sometimes doing too much of it can take a toll on your body. Thanks for stopping by :)
You caught me by surprise @sharoonyasir! My ego is grateful for the compliment :) Seeing your comment reminds me again about the need to slow down. Apparently it's something I need to be reminded quite frequently since its easy forget- I am so used to trying to stay productive. Thanks for reminding me yet again!
Pleasure :)
I think there's a bit of the difference between masculine and feminine energies in this. The masculine has to have a goal - the best, hike to the top of the mountain, explore the deepest depths of the ocean, CEO, Fortune 500, etc, etc. Feminine is here to serve, to help, to assist others (esp children if she has them), and to enjoy the moment. A balance is nice, but I lean far to the feminine. I believe I bless this world by being present with others, especially my kids. By helping my friends when they need me, sometimes through painfully slow processes. I don't like hiking with super masculine energy people because I want to dawdle through the forest and feel the earth and the trees and smell things. Not even your husband gets to tell you how to be. You're the awesomest Sharoon ever, and I think you're perfectly perfect just as you are.