It may sound brutal, but, a vast majority of mankind has not achieved what they set out to when they were young. Their lives have not turned out the way they would have wanted them to. Dreams may not have died, but they surely faded, became real and jaded.
What one needs to understand is this:
What holds us back from being happy is the picture in our minds of what life should be like.
We all have pictures in our minds, of success, of what we want to be, have, and what it would all look like. This, is the enemy. One may be happy, settled, content and in love, but, that picture intrudes and we go off on a wild goose chase looking to make that picture come alive, whereas, we are already in that place. The picture in our heads can be of white picket fences outside our dream home, the perfect husband, the perfect life (dog or cat / position / money / power / love etc.).
We have to go back to where it all started. When did this picture develop? Take shape? It may have been over 3 decades ago. Priorities may have changed, as may have the environment, our lives may have taken different turns and yet we cling onto those “success pictures”.
Reality must bite and at some point, it has to strike at the heart of this mirage. We must ask ourselves the critical question: Why? Why do I need X or Y and what is behind wanting them. Am I not happy now? What is missing?
Reality checks can be subtle or serious. Examples range from Wanting to buy your dream car and your bank balance does not support this to chasing after dreams that were simply unreachable and realizing it too late.
Reality checks can also be used synonymously with eye openers & wake up calls. Whatever iteration we spin this towards, the facts don’t change. Revisit your dreams, your goals. Find out if they are still valid. Still relevant. Still real. Do not end up running after an illusion that is unrealistic. Base your fantasy on a vision not a delusion. Happiness lies in the fulfillment of dreams. Not the chase of a figment of the mind. Lest we enjoy living a hallucination, lets get real.
Waking up to this new reality is the best thing that can happen to you.
Let it.
