Of all the friends that I grew up with, only a very few have taken the path of discovery as they get older. We used to connect regularly, but as time goes on, I noticed that excitement for the world we live in is replaced with cynicism and negativity. I’m no adrenaline junky or extreme sports fanatic, but I’m excited about living the adventure that is life and with all the issues the world needs solutions to, I will not choose to retire from it. They won’t
admit that to themselves, but that’s what they’re doing.
They are retiring from life.
They focus solely on their 9-5 jobs; they don’t exercise, they watch too much TV, they never pick up a book, they believe the hype and conspiracies, they have no passions. So instead of chasing the day, their bodies and minds are trying to catch up, and they never will.
Life isn’t about being the smartest, strongest, or most famous person in the room.
I should know, I'm neither of these things.
It’s not about collecting titles, accumulating wealth with no purpose. Life’s about becoming. Learning a new something, meeting a new someone, and exploring an unknown somewhere. It’s about putting yourself out into the world and fighting for what you love while getting excited about what you don’t yet know.
I’m lucky; my writing keeps me intellectually sharp. It’s important to me. Find an endeavour like that, whether baking, knitting or chess and make it important to you.
To be your best self, you need to be open to the world and what it has to offer. That’s the only way you can exploit every drop of life given to us. Engage with our surroundings in every way we can.
So remember.
Listen as hard as you can.
Learn as hard as you can.
Care as hard as you can.
Pick up a book. Pick up the phone. Pick up a new hobby. Never stop learning about the world and the people around you.
Then you can consider yourself alive.
