Hi friends. Welcome to the YouTopian Journey. Today’s issue discusses why you must live your own life.
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LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE
“It’s a hell of a responsibility to be yourself. It’s much easier to be somebody else or nobody at all.”-Slyvia Plath
Growing up, one of the insults I would always hear would be to “get a life.” While childish and meaningless, this was a cause of real concern as all of the “good lives” were already taken and being lived.
This left only one course of action, to accept the reality of the situation.
You have to live your own life.
This can be daunting.
You cannot emulate someone else. Try as you might, you cannot be a carbon copy of another individual.
“Even if you’re going to live three thousand more years, or ten times that, remember: you cannot lose another life than the one you’re living now, or live another one than the one you’re losing. The longest amounts to the same as the shortest. The present is the same for everyone; its loss is the same for everyone; and it should be clear that a brief instant is all that is lost. For you can’t lose either the past or the future; how could you lose what you don’t have?”-Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
You must live your own life.
Not the life according to your parents, your peers, or even your society.
But the life that you desire.
This isn’t an easy path. In fact, this will be one of the most difficult things one can do. It is precisely why so many people avoid the responsibilities of reality. The requirements are too difficult and too daunting.
And what are those requirements?
Grit.
Movement.
Desire.
And most importantly, COURAGE.
These requirements, especially courage, are hard to come by in our age of lethargy and conformity. Where our movements and actions are broadcasted to the world, where strangers judge us and our friends and family may not even offer their support. Nevertheless, you must possess these requirements. This is worth repeating.
You must possess them!
“Every human being must have a point at which he stands against the culture, where he says, this is me and the damned world can go to hell.”-Rollo May
The greatest among us have always gone against the culture that birthed them and forged their own path. They understood the burden of responsibility that came with this course of action. They faced loneliness, ridicule, insults, and worse.
But they kept moving forward.
And you can as well.
But you must have the courage to accept the reality that is before you. You cannot escape into the world of fantasy to avoid your responsibilities. You must keep moving forward. Eventually, your actions will bear fruit.
You will come to see the results of your actions.
You will come to realize that your reality is malleable and that your future can be altered by the course that you set. Thus, you must set a good course and have the courage to follow it through until the end.
“Life is a series of collisions with the future; it is not the sum of what we have been, but what we yearn to be.”-Jose Ortega y Gasset
AVOID COWARDICE AND LIVE NOW
“You are capable of more than you know. Choose a goal that seems right for you and strive to be the best, however hard the path. Aim high. Behave honorably. Prepare to be alone at times, and to endure failure. Persist! The world needs all you can give.”-E. O. Wilson
One of the major themes of YouTopian Journey is taking action.
Why?
Because action is what alters reality. The actions you take today will change what happens tomorrow. The vows you make, the thoughts you act upon, all have an effect on your future. But if this is the case, why do so many lack action? Why are so many taking a passive approach to life?
Cowardice.
Our society is based on cowardice. Its institutions are based on it. We give children participation trophies so there is no need for real risk. We transform minor wins into world altering victories so that we can feel better about ourselves. We encourage safety over risk-taking behavior. We fence in the horizons, replacing the loftiest goals with minor achievements and meaningless awards.
You must not fall prey to this.
You are more powerful than you know.
You can alter your reality in ways that you never thought possible.
You can not only bear the burden of the responsibilities placed upon you, but can lighten the load for others.
You have this power.
Take up the mantle of responsibility and go after what you desire.
Do not give into the pressures and comments of the crowd.
Dream big and act on those dreams.
Accept the reality of your situation and responsibility for your life and actions. No one else can and no one else will!
And above all, don’t let it all slip through your fingers.
“Man has it all in his hands, and it all slips through his fingers from sheer cowardice.”-Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
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Shaun
Thank you Shaun. I agree - we only have "one" (at least in this particular go around)! I can only speak for myself, but my observations have also suggested that those in my generation can be challenged to embrace your most beautiful ideas. Having said that it's also lovely to see the next generations giving themselves permission to follow their dreams and become the "greatest version of the grandest vision you ever had about yourself" (thank you Neale Donald Walsch).
Speaking of Grit. I recently read the book GRIT.
It really goes into why some people succeed and others fail. The gist is that successful people don't quit. They have a growth mindset and believe with enough effort they can overcome any obstacle. Excellent read if you have the time.