Meant for More
There’s something I’ve been learning over and over again lately. The world does not owe you anything. Life was not designed so that you could grow up, get money, have a family, and live comfortably. But that’s not what we’re told to believe. We’re raised up to believe that everything is going to work out perfectly. All we have to do is finish high school, get a college degree, get a job, get married, have kids, buy a house, and then we’re done. And it’s become so natural to us that we forget that a lot of the world doesn’t live that way. For instance, many other countries don’t even do 40 hour work weeks. They do 20 to 30 hours a week and they get to spend more time with their families and actually enjoying their life.
If you’re like me, you don’t want to get a 9 to 5 job and buy a house and get married right out of college. I want to travel. I want to play music. I don’t want my life to be sucked away from me behind a cubicle or tied down by a mortgage. When I get to the end of my life I want to look back and feel like I have truly lived. I want my investments to not be simply financial but relational. I want to invest in the lives of people and have an impact on the world. What’s the point of spending you’re whole life helping some company gain more money? Don’t get me wrong though. It’s okay to work a 9 to 5. It’s okay to work a 40 hour week job. Some of us want that. Some of us are okay with that. But it’s important to remember that we don’t have to live that way. It’s the easy way out, but not the only way.
I believe that most people never end up doing what they were truly meant to do. Most people settle for less or become afraid of failure. Not many parents are encouraging their kids to go out and live their dreams. They’re encouraging them to go get a high paying job so they can “be happy.” So most people grow up without the encouragement to do what they are passionate about. And if they do, people often frown upon it. I’ve experienced this a lot as a musician. I know I’m not gonna make a lot of money at what I do. I know it’s one of the most difficult industries to get in. But I love it. And I will never stop doing music. Success is so much more than just monetary.
We were meant for more than this American dream of success. We were meant to live. If you know what your passionate about, then go do it! Remember, you are not entitled to anything. You have to work hard to achieve your dreams. It takes a long time and a lot of patience and endurance. Nobody climbs a mountain in one step. It takes a lot of steps in the right direction, sometimes even in the dark. Just keep moving forward and striving to do what you love. You won’t regret it.
