Greatness is born through strife. Be all you can be. That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Love is a battlefield.
BUT
Just be happy. Life is about the journey. Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
So which is it? Should I push myself to be the next Bill Gates, or should I slow down and smell the flowers? Is life about leaving your mark on history, or just the bare necessities?
This question genuinely perplexes me. I'm a pretty happy person. I have a job, a boyfriend, a place to live...I'm pretty freaking satisfied, and could see myself living quite contently as a regular person.
Then there's the part of me that knows I could be great. Not just great - amazing. I used to have a passion for acting, and when I was 10 years old I decided that no matter what it took, I would act, and I would be the best at it. Not content with wherever I happened to end up in the acting world, but the best.
I've since lost my verve for acting, but I have other passions. Writing, for one. I've also settled into a comfortable life. So I guess the question stands - "Is comfortable the goal, or the enemy?"
It's a pretty big question, so let's look at which course brings the greatest quantity of satisfaction:
The Path to Struggle City: always be hungry, never be complacent, achieve, achieve, achieve. Happiness is derived from succeeding and/or being better than your peers. This could happen on a daily basis, or a once in a lifetime basis. At the end of your life you can look back with pride and say "Look what I accomplished!" or at least "Look what I tried to accomplish!" You could become a leader, pioneer, or expert in your field, changing the course of history for all time.
The Path to Cuddle City: relax, savor the little things, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. Happiness is derived from what you do everyday naturally, although if you don't like your everyday life then that could be difficult. At the end of your life you can look back with satisfaction and say "Look at all the little moments I was happy, weren't they great!" You could become well-loved by friends, family, and your community.
Pretty evenly divided, don't you think? Most of the time, it comes down to personal preference and circumstance. Some people are born to compete. Some people are born to hate competition and instead invite everyone to their house for some brewskis. The tricky part is if you are a person who has become comfortable with their situation, but who wonders if there's more, and if it's worth going after. Movies tell you "go after it!" and therapists tell you "be happy with what you have!"
This isn't a question I will be able to answer this very minute. I think it takes more life experience, more trials and errors, to decide what you really want in life. Hell, there's probably another option that I haven't even considered yet. But it's important to think about because it affects my everyday choices now: do I write, or watch TV? Do I have drinks with this person, or hang out with my boyfriend?
Perhaps it is by savoring all the little things that I can become a pioneer, a leader in my field...
...nah, that's just crazy talk.
