As kids we were asked what we were going to do with our lives – encouraged to be ambitious, chase success, and make a difference.
As an adult, it’s not a whole lot different. The question we are most asked is what we ‘do’. A marker to measure our value to society, which is mostly gauged on how well-paid and interesting it sounds.
We are asked on numerous social media posts, “what do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” The pressure to be a productive economic unit, but make sure it’s good for humanity too.
You might be looking back on your life and wondering why it’s so different from what you’d imagined when you were younger.
Maybe you haven’t done the things you’d planned, or been to the places you wanted to go to with the people you wanted to be with. Maybe it feels like you’ve been sleepwalking through your life and missed the opportunities.
But I wonder what you have done over the last couple of decades that your younger self would be amazed by. Things that you couldn’t even imagine back then. People you know, places you’ve been, difficulties you’ve overcome, the lives you’ve impacted, the decisions you’ve made, the dreams you have, and the things that make your heart sing.
Maybe this reflection can help you to look forward through a different lens.
What about aspiring for a more ordinary existence? Being purposeful and necessary in a way that isn’t measured by QCIs or bonuses. Being purposeful and necessary in a way that makes a difference to those around you.
It doesn’t need to be a big thing or take a lot of time. You will never know what difference it makes when you let someone out at that tricky junction, or have a chat with someone at the school gates, or check in with a colleague.
I wonder what difference you’ll make today, just by being you.
If you’d like some help to make changes to live the life you desire, get in touch and we can arrange your free introductory call.
