"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." - Anne Lamott"
Life has turned into a practice of sprints, from one end of the track to the other, and there seems to be no middle point...
It's either absolute chaos or a minute experience in an environment of total peace and solitude.
There is no all-true and foolproof method of maintaining balance, for now at least. I guess life isn't meant to be balanced at this stage. You can try all you want, but when you're in your early stages of growth, balance becomes non-existent. Because growth requires change, pain, and constant friction. It's a continual conflict between choosing, and then doing what's right or wrong, and what's easy and difficult.
Hence, these countless sprints from one end of the track straight to the other.
ᴵᵐᵃᵍᵉˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵒᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᶜᵒⁿᵗᵉⁿᵗ ᵃʳᵉ ᵐʸ ᵒʷⁿ ᵘⁿˡᵉˢˢ ᶦᵗ'ˢ ᵐᵉⁿᵗᶦᵒⁿᵉᵈ
Life isn't a competition, but it is getting quite competitive out here, that you can't deny...
The go-getter and hustle mindset is great in such an environment, it is a rare trait these days, in a world where people choose to be lazy and average. With the rate of development and advancement we're seeing in the world, being lazy and average, and not up-to-date, will thwart your progress and growth.
Nowadays it doesn't take a decade or two for amazing technological feats, now it takes about 5 years. Because the world I live in now, and the world I knew 5 years ago, feel completely different to me. Yes, maybe it's my current environment and the group of people I hang out with, they do have an influence, and some of them have opened my eyes in a few aspects.
Yet, post-covid, things certainly have become unrecognizable, compared to the world we knew pre-covid.
Work or study-from-home opportunities, the booming e-commerce sector, the adoption and regulations of crypto, AI changing the game in the job market, social media influencers, their content, and podcasts taking over and having the ultimate influence. If you'd mentioned the possibility of all these things just 5 years ago, then very few would've believed you; even I'd have doubts.
If someone told me that in 2024, at the age of 28, I'd already be married for over 3 years, then I certainly would have a tough time trusting those words. I'd probably even fight the possibility of it. Because my plan was to get married in 2024/2025. However, life had a different set of plans I guess.
I'm not the most pious person you'll meet, but as it says in my religion "Allah is the best of planners".
Now, whether it be life itself, destiny, or fate, some things are pre-planned, things you just can't change...
Sometimes I just look back and try to make sense of it all...
For the past 3 to 4 years I've been on a non-stop grind.
I've always had a go-getter attitude, but during COVID I had to step it up a notch. Now, after almost 4 years, I've finally burnt myself out. I can now openly say that I'm really tired, both physically and mentally.
I am human after all! And hey, even machines require a fair bit of downtime and maintenance, and I'm only human. So, I guess it's okay to want a bit of peace and quiet, while also getting some rest.
I understand now, that amidst all the mumbo jumbo, the good and the bad of life, it's sometimes best to seek refuge under the cloak of solitude. A moment away from all the hustle and bustle of life. Whether it be a proper bit of shut-eye under your favorite blanket, a hot cup of coffee and your favorite movie, or a little trek when in the indemnity of nature. Self-improvement, progress, and growth are all fine, but always make sure to take a break.
Don't head out to change the world, when you're still left picking up what's left of you...