The year is about to come to an end. Everybody is talking about the year that’s been, some people are thinking resolutions; I actually hope very few people are talking about resolutions because, that is so 19 something.
Making resolutions isn’t news anymore. There’s nothing exciting anymore about coming up with a list of things you wish to change about yourself. I suppose society just sort of succumbed to the reality that changing behaviour is a difficult and lengthy process.
Ag, when I started writing this article, the idea was to get us to talk about things we’d love to do in the New Year; not things we hate about ourselves and want to change( that’s not very positive), but things we haven’t done and we’d like to experience.
But then I remembered I saw something similar written by Lebo Mashile on the December issue of the True Love mag. That chick is telling the whole South Africa and a few surrounding countries that she’s never seen a vibrator and she’d love to use one in 2009. I’m not ready to have such daring declarations taken on this blog, so I changed the topic.
Now, the idea of this article is to discuss…
When your Finish-Line got very little to do with your Starting-Point
We read and they preach to us that life is a race and each person runs at their own pace. Others tell us if we dream it we can become it. I say, though life is a race and we become what we dream, the tracks on the racecourse aren’t exactly straight lines and there isn’t any written guarantee that if you start out in law school you’ll end up owning a law firm and if you are a PA when you are 21, by the time you turn 50, you’ll be Senior Clerk in some magistrate’s court.
So, today I want us to talk about four kinds of people;
1. Day Dreamers. You had a dream to become one thing but there were obstacles and you are now in a place somewhere on the way. You’ve kind of accepted that you didn’t become what you dreamt to become, and you’ve decided that you’ll never become what you wanted to, you’ve never really liked your present position, but what can you do? Bills have to be paid, so you’ve learnt to live with the present state. Make it work.
2. Plain Sailers. You never really had any dreams; everything just sort of fell into place. You finished matric and the normal thing to do was go to varsity, study engineering, get into the field and make money, and you are doing exactly that; making money.
3. Happiness Agents. You started out on track; you knew exactly what you wanted. You got into it, but half way through the way you realised it wasn’t exactly your reason and purpose so you changed fields. You started over. It wasn’t exactly easy but you lived through it. Now you are into something totally different, you are living a life you never dreamt of, and you are happy.
4. Hustlers. Yes, you are not what you dreamt to become. Yes, you are slightly off-track now but the race ain’t over yet, is it? You are fighting on. You know you’ll get it and even if it takes 10 more years, you’ve got your eyes on that dream.
Blogger, which one are you? How were the obstacles and how did you deal with the uncertainty at times and how happy are you with the choices you made?
I’m just trying to make a point that, life isn’t a straight line. We don’t all grow up, study, rent a flat, meet our soulmate, get married, buy a house, make kids, have a perfect family and die happy.
This time of the year is when we reflect on our lives. I know I do that; I go over my year and ask myself how far I’ve come, and if there are any significant highlights I can smile about, or any lives I’ve helped save. Well, I’ve finished all my years in tears. Somehow, I always think it wasn’t enough and mostly there’s more to regret than celebrate. I realise that there isn’t much I’ve achieved, there isn’t much I’ve done to add on to my “bigger picture”.
That my dreams are just all in my head; I want this I want that, but very less action, because, the reality of the matter is, life is NOT a straight line and we don’t always become our dreams. Or am I wrong?
Bloggers, please share your experiences.
Are you a Plain Sailer, A Happiness Agent, A Hustler or just a Day Dreamer like me??
PS: Happy Holidays! Don’t get too excited and spend wisely!