The Necessity of Progression

Complacency will be the death of us. We must never forget that one of the only things that we are entitled to in this life is the pursuit of happiness. We are given the ability to create our own destinies. What a remarkably romantic idea, the idea of true freedom, where the only parameters on your outcome in life are self-made. Through the years, the pursuit of happiness seems to have been replaced by a bland chase for steady comfort. We tame and subdue our aspirations for an ideal of success. The beauty of the American Dream is the appeal of the seemingly flawless success narrative that has been told generation after generation. School. Job. Work. Retire. Die. Repeat. However, that path is void of creation and hinders on the principles of free will. Freedom is our favorite word, but are we in an environment in which we are able to actually reap the benefits of freedom?

Indeed we are! Even though there is an overbearing sense of pressure on those who strive to stray from the pre-destined expectations of the aforementioned narrative of the American Dream. We are able to chase any light we so choose. Never forget that, and never concern yourself with the sea of voices coming from those who have lived a life of complacency. They are always the first to demonize the dreams of someone who longs for more than the norm. But those people are stagnant, and nothing good comes from a lack of motion or progress. Constantly be moving forward, be forever evolving, and never succumb to the fear associated with venturing on your own.   

When you make a drastic change in your life, it violently disrupts the norm of the day to day. The ripple effect that can come from the consequences of a huge decision is profound. It causes a whirlwind of different emotions. The back and forth of happiness and sadness may have you so far beside yourself, you feel completely detached. Henceforth, the paranoia comes in to frame. Yet we must embrace this particular episode of anxiety and know that we are moving forward due to our own will to progress. 

Change is complicit with fear. The two go hand in hand. But when you feel a deep, guttural feeling of an abrasive sense of nervousness, that’s the good fear! That’s the kind that is onset by leaving behind the comfortable state of life that you have become so grossly accustomed to. And that’s the kind that usually means that you’re on the right path. We as a species have an inherent desire to take the path of least resistance. It’s in our DNA. And that’s precisely why embracing these crashing waves of overbearing anxiety is implicit to our development. When you do so, you stop dipping your toes into the water; you take that leap, and flip the script on your entire life. And it is fucking terrifying. You are thrust into a seemingly brand new existence, starting from scratch, and all alone. But then, once you’re entirely committed to your new path, the terror turns to euphoria as the realization of your new freedom cascades over you. It is at that moment you realize that your life is truly in your control. You have nothing left to fear. 

Never suppress your purpose for a comfortable life. Constantly be aware of your mortality and the finite changes we make in our lives, in contrast to what we speak about accomplishing. In other words, fucking be about it. Make this life into whatever you see fit.