To state that my goals are the same as my friends' goals would be the first step towards them no longer being my own.
The same applies to living life. Today most live life comparing and contrasting themselves to others - emulating them and setting their goals based off what others are doing.
It's more like a collective goal or a collective way of living, and there's nothing wrong with that, as long as it serves a valuable purpose, either for us or for our community.
Throughout history, people have joined forces to achieve goals aimed at improving their lives and continue to do so. However, how can we tell if our goals are genuine or not, if they truly come from within, and not merely from looking around and finding a goal so that others won't say we don't have one? Or just joining a group to feel like we're doing something? In other words, with most people and most goal setter these days it's about trying to do what others do, even if we don't fully understand why they set those goals in the first place nor the intentions behind them.
There's nothing wrong with having a Bill Gates-like or Mark Zuk-like goal, especially if you've heard all your life that they made a lot of money and does whatever they want (even if that includes selling your data on Facebook). But that's not the point. The point is that we can't find safety or satisfaction in our goals if all we do is follow the Joneses and try to keep up with them.
Would we want to be like others or ourselves. Or Both?
I bet the latter is impossible and the former only presents one choice.
For insteance I might want that gold chain(could be anything) because he(could be anyone - friends or enemies) wears them. Even if I have no tangible reason to wear it myself. But most do because they can afford it or take out a loan if necessary.
But for what really?
I guess its for the culture
I might be wrong or not. Nevertheless keeping up with other people in today's world has become the norm - follow the influencers path(post half naked for likes), laugh at the gurus haha, buy a latest version of the neighbors car even when your old one works perfectly. Or in relationships - make more friends because everyone has friends, date more women becauae its what others do and not having a chance of connecting and commiting with one, but having fun with all.
All this making it seem like nobody really has a genuine goal to achieve anymore, or a genuine reason to create value or be valuable ourselves, except to do what others do, buy what other buy and go where they go, even if we don't know where that is.
When I was young, my dad always said that I had to compete with others, do what they do and read what they read(even if that wont help me grow as a human)or else I'd be left behind(whatever that means)
I'm glad I did back then
And glad I dont anymore because the real battle is within-with myself
it was fun while it lasts. Same with how most read a book just because their teachers/lecturers deem it so or why most invest in bitcoin or cryptocureency because their friends, neighbor or enemy made a lot of money from it.
Doing things just because of this never felt like me doing them, which means that even when I read for exams,invest and compete, there was no joy or sense of fulfillment or growth attached to the process.
Its so unsatisfying that I have no words to better decribe the feeling of having no program of my own
It felt more like that of a programmed robot following its basic programming and pattern without having a thought of its own.
Tha pose a question of - are you a human-bot or a human being?
Moreover, this isn't just a personal thing, but on a larger scale, it's almost like we're being taught to follow the herd, keep up with the Joneses, even if we don't have a clue where they're going. But even if we do, wouldn't it be more fulfilling to carve our own path, set our own goals(both collective and personal) and be aware of the whole process so that when we encounter obstacles, we can retrace our steps (taken by us) and find a way out without having to blame those we follow, even if they are the problem? After all, we followed them without giving conscious attention as to why we needed or had to.
In short, we've let others actions,goals and thoughts take control of our lives that we have no idea how to carve our own path anymore than to do what other do, set goals others set and as a result get results that others get(either positive or negative) and attain goals than other achieve without realizing our own potential for ourselves which may be something even greater.
If you have a program, plan, or path of your own, isn't it worth figuring out by yourself how it may work or not?
Share your thoughts, opinions and criticism with me in the comments.
Until next time
Living in owns path will not leads us into temptation, but will keep us aiming to that good point we want to be, a person should look at his own path alone, to strive.