Yesterday was my 36th birthday.
When I think about that, being in my mid-30’s, it doesn’t feel quite right. In my mind I still feel like I’m somewhere around 25 years old and fortunately my body feels the same (most days).
I suppose this is a good thing. You’re only as old as you feel right?
When I was 16, people in their 30’s might as well have been 90 in my mind, they seemed so old.
You see, when I would think about what my life would be like in my 30’s, I had a much different picture in my mind. I thought I’d have “everything figured out”.
News flash – I don’t.
But one of the things I’ve come to realize in my 36 trips around the sun is that nobody has “everything figured out” and everyone is pretty much just making it up as they go.
And its O.K. to admit that.
It’s O.K. that you don’t have everything figured out because nobody does.
Even the most put together, successful people don’t have everything figured out.
I would argue that the biggest “virus” threatening us right now is not Covid-19, it’s “comparison syndrome”. Comparing ourselves to other people, thinking they have something we don’t and we want it.
Thinking everyone we see on social media have fabulous lives filled with endless happiness. Then we compare their highlight reel, Instagram-life to our “regular, boring” life and think they must have something we don’t.
This leads to more anxiety, higher rates of depression and in severe, prolonged cases can even lead to suicide.
But once you realize that nobody has anything figured out and everyone is simply making this up as they go – even your favourite Insta-celeb – you can stop comparing and rid yourself of “comparison syndrome” once and for all.
It’s O.K. that you don’t have everything figured out. I don’t, and I probably never will.
So I’ll just continue to make this up as I go, enjoying the journey as much as possible and I would suggest you do the same.
That’s my birthday wish for you 🙂
Stay strong and live awesome, my friend.
