When I was young I was too busy, now that I'm older I am too tired...

When I was young I was too busy...

I am not very sure if it was my personal choice or just expectations of others imposed on me. I guess our choices when we are young are biased and guided by what is perceived “right”; what everyone else is doing in order to be a "successful" member of this society. The ultimate dream of the family was to be successful, meaning be the best student, study hard, find a job that pays well, buy a house, have a family etc! Seems like a lot of work for a young person to comprehend. 

While I was trying to understand this concept, I was trying my best to become all that. Not an easy ride though, as I could feel the conflicting emotions in me: “Is this who I am supposed to be?” “Is this our purpose in life?” Questions like these created turmoil and resistance. 

Amidst the busyness of trying to reach the ultimate goal, I was missing out on life. I don’t quite mean alcohol or nightlife, not even socialising with friends. These are just the extras or the rewards of a busy life if you prefer. I am talking about dreams, goals, passions, connection, creativity, nature, travelling. I was promised that I could have all of these “treats” after I work hard because “people must work hard to enjoy life”. This is what I’ve been told.
So I did. To the extent that my conflicting emotions overwhelmed me and I could no longer see the future I was promised. But that’s another story and I won’t go there...


Now that I’m older I am too tired! 

Thankfully I’m not. I woke up from the lethargy I had put myself in.

But is this the case in the world we live in? We have created a society that is either too busy or too tired.  When is the time that we will start living truly? What if we unleashed all the potential that is hidden in us.  Waking up – eating – drinking – studying – working – eating again – watching tv – complaining – comparing – sleeping. Is this really who we are? This circle is not the full picture. There is much more to that. 

It is never too late to start reflecting on who we really are and how we can approach life in a different way.  I’m not suggesting here that we should stop what we are doing and go on holidays.  On the contrary, we should give meaning and purpose to what we are doing and stop missing out on life. There is no tomorrow if you don’t enjoy today. There is regret if we don’t do all the things we want right now. NOW is the only time we have, never waste it for insignificant details that will keep you away from your passion or dream.  

“Living” is free. Thinking of a goal or a dream starts with an idea and it takes some time to reach the outcome. The idea is free. Being creative, strong, courageous, loving, sincere, realistic etc are also free. We have them inside of us. We will use them wisely to get the idea going. Money is an energy that will provide us with what is enough. We don’t really need more than enough. Money is useless if we don’t have all the above mentioned characteristics in us. It will take us as far as it lasts. All our strengths and virtues though, are forever; and they can lead us to money if this is our goal.

We are never too busy and we are never too tired. The societal excuses we use to escape from the concept of “now” can be detrimental to our well-being in the longer run. Unfortunately, we recognise the missed opportunities when we reach the lowest point in our life; physical illness; unhappiness; depression; anxiety; fear.

The inspiration behind this post involves three women:

One is the actress of a movie who used this meaningful and at the same time scary quote. The movie is called "The Way" and I highly recommend it to you.
The second one is a young person I know who refused to walk to the chapel in the photo above (although she had reached the edge of the cliff) with the excuse that "It is too far, I can't, I'm tired". I had just experienced the sad moment when a person gives up just before reaching the goal. Fear? Low self esteem? Busy life? Tiredness? 
The third person is a relative who enjoys her life by actively connecting with nature; walking and hiking on mountains despite her age. It helps her connect with herself whilst challenging her own limits. 

It is never too late to enjoy the beauty of life.