Tuesday, October 18, 2011

You Time is Limited: Don't Waste It Living Someone Else's Life


Facebook has been inundated by pictures with sayings, both sarcastic and encouraging. I really enjoy the humor of the sarcastic ones, being that I have been questionably blessed with an overflowing gift of sarcasm, but I really enjoy the thought provoking motivational ones too. This particular one posted after the Apple inventing Steve Jobs' death is one that really got me thinking. Short, simple and to the point, I saved it on my desktop and look at it each day: "Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life." It's quite challenging to me. Am I living the life that I should be, or am I living the life of meeting everyone's expectations of me, better yet, am I achieving my expectations? The scary thing is that I know that I am in many ways not living the life that is destined or possible for me. To do this would force me to make a jump out of another box that life situations has placed me in of trying to be "safe" than take the risks of jumping out on a limb and risking the fact that the limb might not keep me up. The limb could break and there would be an awful fall leaving me laying flat on the ground, breath knocked out of me and possible breaks and scars that would forever remind me that I didn't achieve.  

I used to be the risk taker, the girl who didn't think twice about being at the top of a ski pyramid when I was 14, bungee jumping when I was 16 or testing and conquering limits when they were given to me just to prove a point. Just this past summer, I was in Nashville and spent a while watching others ride a mechanical bull. I have always wanted to ride a mechanical bull. Don't ask me why, just one of those small items on my bucket list I guess, another way of testing myself just to see if I could do it. Well, I finally mustered up the courage to try, but felt a panic attack coming on as I waited in line and chickened out. Ugh, I chickened out? I am not the person that chickens out to ride something completely under matted with an inflatable cushion so you can't get hurt anyway. Who is this person and what did she do with my risk-taking predecessor? I don't know, but I can say I am still a little mad at her.  Apparently I have been wasting my time living someone else's life, because the person I am would have jumped on the bull, thrown my hand up in the air and tried my hardest to beat out the best score.

I have done a lot of self analyzing and had a lot of realizations since the bull.  A close friend and confidant gave me the questions "Why am I doing what I am doing today? Is it because I did it yesterday or because I want to?" I think as adults we easily get caught up in the routine of life: family, work, responsibilities and etc. and can forget who we are, what our passions are, what our dreams are. We let our routines, our position, and all the pronouns of the jobs we do define us instead of the using the adjectives that describe who we really are. We waste our time living someone else's life instead of the one we dreamed of having. Steve Jobs defied the times from his garage and from that defined the age of technology we live in now. What would have happened if he was too afraid of jumping out on that limb? Where would we be today? Now turn it around, make it personal...Where am I now? What would happen if I jump out on the limb? I don't have all the answers, but I am going to take a few more jumps in the future, begin living the life I want instead of the one others expect of me and when I happen across another mechanical bull in my future...I will be on it, hand raised and trying my hardest to beat out the best time.

4 comments:

  1. Wow Nica. You are a really inspiring writer.

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  2. Awesome.. Loved it.. You and Hayley are really good at writing. Coming from someone who gets bored quickly reading.. I am proud of you. Now when you feel like getting on that bull PLEASE call me so I can get a good laugh and take pics for blackmail.. hahah.. But really I will get on that bull also bcuz I support you and I have never done it either.. This will be fun. I foresee a GNO!! love u.

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  3. Thank you for the compliment and encouragement Tracy. And yes, when I find another mechanical bull, I will definately let you know as we are LONG overdue for a GNO. And as far as the pictures and blackmail go, I never mind making a fool of myself for the amusement of others and I think you should have enough blackmail content by now anyway! Love you too and again, thanks for the feedback.

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