Gurus Gone Wild

Here's where I am today...and lately.

 

I used to think that the term 'rat race' only related to working. You know, where you get caught up in trying to be better, achieve, achieve, achieve, and compete in the workforce. Achieve a higher status, be recognized, make more money, afford a bigger house, better car, vacation home, stand out, make a difference...to the point of missing the point; what matters is YOU, not the race or the need for 'more'. It can be SO easy to get caught up in all of that and begin to feel stressed, over work yourself, and lose sight of your own happiness, time for you and your friends and family, and time to just simply be.

It's OK to just be.

I feel like there is a whole new rat race and to be honest, it's stressing me out. It comes from amazingly good intention but it's a whole new kind of madness and craze. It's this whole inundation of online gurus flooding my Facebook page, inbox, and Internet. Whether I'm seeking it out or not. A self-help fest. DON'T GET ME WRONG, what these people have to say and offer is truly helpful and I have gained a lot (and still do) from their content, advice, and knowledge. And there is no question that the initial intention is/was to help. But in my opinion, it is out of control.

Where it goes wrong for me is that there is still a strong, predominant message...the need to achieve more, make a big difference, don't be status quo, push yourself, make more money and work less...sound familiar? And it's everywhere! And gurus are teaming up, joining forces to help promote each other in order to become bigger, better, and make more money themselves.

I find that I have become numb to it all. I scroll past the info, even of people that I really love what they have to share and know I could learn from...and ignore it. I'm overloaded and find myself just as stressed out and feeling the need to keep up in the same way as in the work world rat race. Even though it's all positive and about self discovery, its just another rat race.

So what have I learned from all of this? Do what makes YOU happy. Nothing more, nothing less. And it doesn't have to be earth shattering. If YOU are happy, and doing things that make you happy and feel good, nothing else will matter. If that's being a CEO or living in a yurt in the middle of nowhere or discovering the cure for cancer or running a campground or whatever. Let go of all of the expectations that you NEED to be or do more.

Take a break from the gurus gone wild and go within. Find stillness and listen to yourself. I love that simple piece of advice that states you should do whatever it is that you find yourself thinking about all the time. Where does your mind go in its daydreams? Do that. Seriously. Or start working toward it. You are good enough. No matter what you do, how much money you make, or don't. What matters is time and moments. Time for you, time with family and with friends, time to do what it is that makes you feel happy.

My plan (no rocket science here):
1. Pay attention to the things my mind daydreams about over and over. Write that sh*&t down.
2. Start focusing on how to get there.
3. Build it into my Lifebook (you can ask me about this).
4. Keep going...