If you are like me, which I’m very sure that you are, you may be at a point in your life where you are getting very fed up with The Hype. By “The Hype”, I mean this:
We are Constantly Being Sold Something.
Whether it be an idea, a product, information or a destination… the world seems almost at a point of bullying us into a particular direction and trying to make us feel inadequate in one way or another.
Most of the time, I’m annoyed. I’m bothered by the fact that the media seems to think that I need something that I don’t — and lately most book titles, ad campaigns, and even blogs have been a constant brigade of emphasizing the things that We Don’t Have, or things we Don’t Know How To Do. Apparently (or, Aledgedly, as my friend Claire likes to say) we don’t seem to have much of anything!
We don’t know how to house ourselves or feed ourselves, or buy the right things, or work in a fast enough way, and we don’t have a six-pack stomach either!! Can you believe it?!?
One of my clients recently wrote a post that I absolutely love… Do You Really Need to Do More to Achieve More?
And after reading A Feeling Oriented Life – Why I Threw My Garmin Forerunner Off a Cliff, I got inspired enough to write this post.
I just wanted to let you know (in case you didn’t already) that all of these media people are messing with you. Like, a lot.
The only way that they are able to sell anything is to make you feel like you have to buy it — and the easiest way to manipulate someone is by telling them they are doing something wrong.
But, here are the Facts that I’ve learned about life outside of the Western gravitiational force of Wrong…
You are doing a lot of things Right. And, you are already fucking awesome.
If you are able to read this post, it means that you are Alive! Hurray!! Let’s start there.
Staying Alive
The only things we really need to stay alive are food, water, shelter, and hopefully a decent toilet (preferably not a squat toilet, I still pee on my feet with those). We need some clothes, nothing fancy, and I’m guessing you’ve got more than enough now for a lifetime.
Part of staying alive is having some kind of income, so we can keep eating some kind of food, and living in some kind of shelter, and wear some kind of clothes. Check. Done. You are Fabulous.
Enjoying Yourself
Since living abroad, and being stripped down repeatedly to the barest of essentials, I have realized that Society, or The Hype has brainwashed us so badly that we don’t think we can eat, shit, or sleep right. THERE IS A BETTER WAY!!! It screams, and we line up to buy the next bit. But, if you are past all of this, and over all of the hype like I am, you can stop playing the Perfection Game (where nobody ever wins) and go and line up for the Fun Game (where the people are all crazy – but in a good way) and start to enjoy yourself a little more.
Enjoyment comes from Allowing Yourself to Enjoy…
It doesn’t come from having more, doing more, or being more. It comes from within you–letting yourself be imperfect, and enjoying the fact that you are allowed to.
We are all contradictions .. beautiful contradictions
I had a laugh this morning because I have an ashtray beside my running shoes. I like to smoke cigarettes sometimes, and I like to be healthy. So what.
Let yourself be and do stupid things.
This is what keeps you laughing – knowing that you had a bit too much fun on occasion and that no matter how many books you have read or degrees you aquire, you can still go out and kick it with your friends.
Bacon is good.
No matter what any health fanatic says, it is yummy, and I am going to eat it and like it. I love going to eat with my friends that love food. My friend Petra actually claps her hands when she loves her food, it’s amazing.
Work is necessary.
But don’t be too serious about wrapping your whole self-image around it, because it is just what you do for food. If you can do less of it, love it, or leverage your wages to work less, even better. I’m taking the next two months “off” just to climb and hang out because I feel like it.
Renting is awesome.
You don’t need a big fancy home, been there, done that. You need a roof over your head, and if someone else can fix it, even better.
Having a goal is good, but enjoying what you have is better.
Try not to metrix-ise your whole life and quantitate every aspect of your being, or you will just end up feeling like you aren’t being/ doing / having enough. Which, for the record, is exactly what The Hype wants you to believe.
Re-prioritize your life based on how you feel.
If said activity makes you feel awful, stop doing it. Focus your time on activities and work that you do actually enjoy, and let yourself sink into a natural rhythm doing the things that you love.
Move your body.
Find ways for your body to express itself that feel good to you, and it will make you even happier. Spending time in nature is awesome, and working out is great because then you can eat more bacon.
Stop letting Society dictate your life.
You know what you like and enjoy already, and if you can minimize the loud push and pull of what ‘everybody else’ is doing / saying / believing, you will hear your voice a little bit louder and begin to trust in the fact that you can do what you want.
All of these things will add to your overall enjoyment of life, reduce your stress, and allow you to appreciate the amazing things that are already available for you. And you don’t even have to pay $19.95! (because you are already effing awesome.)
