Existentialism & The Nagging Itch
Free as a bird. Free to be who we want to be. Most people dream about what they want to do, others make it happen. But what about those who cannot seem to break the chains that bind them?
Remarkable things can happen if you let yourself go. But some of us feel that if we let go, we might get our you-know-whats chopped off. Why risk it if you do not feel overly confident that you CAN move forward to be who we really want to be? Self-help can only get you so far, you just have to have the mindset that the reward to accomplishing it is the greatest feeling because you did it by your own control. I say, take a leap of faith. Not as in religion, I mean as in your trust in yourself.
When I set out to come to the East Coast in the winter of 2003, I knew that it would be rough at first, but I had a determination to pursue something new to me. The learning curve and the culture shock of it all had waned a little due to the fact that I had taken a couple trips here before moving, so that helped. The culture shock still, to this day, seems to drag me through the ringer most days, but I live with it because that is part of what I chose, part of the package of being here. Do I miss being home? Sure. Plenty of sacrifices had been made in order for me to follow wherever I was “supposed” to go. I trusted myself and had a confidence that I would eventually see progress in what I set out for myself.
But I’m getting off topic.
The point is, YOU have the power to change things, if you choose. Granted, we are all limited only by finances and our own imaginations. But if tomorrow were the very last day of the end of time, and the sky’s were no longer blue with big fluffy white clouds, you would want to do something. And you probably would, because you’d feel like you only had one last chance to do what you wanted. To be who you wanted, even if it was for a day.
You ever get that nagging itch? That urge to just do something wild? Whatever it may be, step out of your comfort zone. Be “reckless.” But don’t get too reckless… Whether you think you have earned it or not, you are not promised tomorrow. So live each day like it’s your last, and you will most certainly always be satisfied. Stop making excuses as to why you cannot do what you want to do. Get out there and do it! Be it! You need to give yourself permission.
Some really great reading on the subject can be found right here:
- Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone — Melissa Lucas
- The Growth Mindset: a Guide to Personal & Professional Growth (The Art of Growth) Vol. 9 — Moore & Glasgow
- Overcoming Anxiety: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognative Behavioral Techniques — Helen Kennerley
- Living with it (New ed): A Survivor’s Guide to Overcoming Panic and Anxiety — Bev Aisbett
- Reasons To Stay Alive — Matt Haig
