Ever since that post about friendship some time ago I’ve been having conversations with friends again. It’s amazing. And one of them I even met. And we talked. Of course. And she said to me,
“Why don’t you just relax a little? You don’t have to do all at once all the time.”
I told her that I’m striving because I’m not content with the way my live is. Or the way I am. But that’s not the whole truth. First of all, I know myself. I’ve been living with me for almost forty years and I can tell you this: Relaxing is very easy for me. Saying, “Oh, I worked so hard, I don’t have to be good all the time.” BHAM! Next thing I know I’m back where I started. Twenty pounds heavier, messy home, haven’t made music for weeks. And all that would be perfectly fine if I didn’t get so unhappy about it. And then there’s this:
All my life I’ve been having “great potential”. I was really proud of that. Sounds good, doesn’t it? But then, slowly, it dawned on me: Great potential means nothing if it remains potential forever. If it remains potential, you eventually will die a loser. I’ve had a great role model on this. My father is a intelligent man with big potential. My mother was attracted to him in the first place because of his sparkly conversation and the fact that all of the walls of his room were covered in sketches. He drew. Well, he gave it up when I was a little child and never picked up a pencil again. Because he wasn’t “good enough”. He had lots of interests and hobbies, but all he ever did was sleep on the couch with a book in his hand. I don’t say that my father is a loser, no. But it is a sad sight when somebody doesn’t do anything that he is longing for.
Another example: Since I am a music teacher I often happen to meet people at parties who tell me that they had always wanted to play the piano. My knee-jerk response to this is, “Well you can still do it.” And they are afraid, and they don’t and it breaks my heart to see the longing in their eyes.
I don’t want to become one of those people who end their lives regretting the things they didn’t do. I don’t want to wake up and think, “I always wanted to write songs, or a novel, but I never did. And now it’s too late.”
Yeah, this is called midlife-crisis. And I realized that there’d never be enough time, or space, or money. That I have to change now, and do the things I want to do, now. I’m not obsessed with it. It’s totally okay to write a novel and neglect the music for a month. But not for a year. And as my favorite piano teacher put it, “You’ll never regret not having watched every single episode of “Lindenstrasse“.” (German soap opera.)
But you will regret not trying to live your dreams. For sure.
Technorati Tags: creativity, midlife-crisis, self-help
I think it’s so much better to be active and striving – that’s the “good” kind of stress.
If you find that you become angry because it’s too much, then you have to prioritize and let some things go. If you can do that, then why not fill your life with things that interest you? If you’re doing that AND have clean toilets, WOW!
I imagine eventually you’ll slow down, and having tried a lot of different things, you can then pick what you really enjoy to pursue. Or try something completely different.
I think it’s so much better to be active and striving – that’s the “good” kind of stress.
If you find that you become angry because it’s too much, then you have to prioritize and let some things go. If you can do that, then why not fill your life with things that interest you? If you’re doing that AND have clean toilets, WOW!
I imagine eventually you’ll slow down, and having tried a lot of different things, you can then pick what you really enjoy to pursue. Or try something completely different.
Ouch. Ouch ouch ouch.
“So why don’t you DO it?” is the most awful phrase in the world. Because then you have to answer…”cuz I’m lazy…weak, ineffective.”
This post really struck me. I’m not even able to comment yet, really.
Ouch ouch ouch.
Ouch. Ouch ouch ouch.
“So why don’t you DO it?” is the most awful phrase in the world. Because then you have to answer…”cuz I’m lazy…weak, ineffective.”
This post really struck me. I’m not even able to comment yet, really.
Ouch ouch ouch.
Oh Esereth, I didn’t want to strike anyone. But of course my friend stirred something in me too. That’s why I have written this.
Daufiero, of course I’m all for the striving. I think that’s what we are here on earth for.
But so far I have been unable to slow down or let something go. Things have to prioritize themselves. And I then I go off and try something different. My husband just said it to me, “You always go and find something new and exciting and never concentrate on just one thing.” And he’s right. I just don’t know if that’s good or bad.
As for the clean toilets, that is really easy. I do it the swish and swipe way, flylady-style.
Oh Esereth, I didn’t want to strike anyone. But of course my friend stirred something in me too. That’s why I have written this.
Daufiero, of course I’m all for the striving. I think that’s what we are here on earth for.
But so far I have been unable to slow down or let something go. Things have to prioritize themselves. And I then I go off and try something different. My husband just said it to me, “You always go and find something new and exciting and never concentrate on just one thing.” And he’s right. I just don’t know if that’s good or bad.
As for the clean toilets, that is really easy. I do it the swish and swipe way, flylady-style.