Every once and awhile my head clears and I realize I am on a
life hamster wheel that continues to roll in the same cage with the same bits
of sawdust. It’s a little unnerving when this realization hits because
you never know how much time you have left to accomplish all that you need to. I had this hit me as I was walking out of work with a co-worker a few weeks ago. The normal end of day pleasantries led to the comment “see ya tomorrow where we get to do the same thing all over again”. Yup, same stuff, the only difference is the date on the calendar changes.
Part of the wheel involves things that are necessary evils, like work and
life maintenance. Day after day people seem to get up, go to work, walk
the dog (if you have one), exercise (maybe), take your kid(s) to their
activities (if you have em), eat lunch, eat dinner, eat snacks (generally eat
too much), clean the damn house and maybe do a few things that make you happy, if you can find what
makes you happy. I am positive that there are people out
there who genuinely enjoy the wheel. I have actually met people who do
not care to have a plan for their upcoming years. Those people who answer “I
don’t know” when you ask them what their five year plan is. Are they just
satisfied with living out their lives one day at a time, doing the same thing
over and over? Maybe they are. The prospect of this seems sad to
me. So very sad. Is it complacency or hopelessness?
I really think stepping off the wheel is the scary
part. Or maybe realizing you are on a wheel at all. Making
changes is frightening personally and for those around you. So what’s the
key to getting off the wheel? Is it having a job you absolutely love to
go to every day? One that you feel like you are making a difference in the
world? Is it leaving your job and all the responsibilities behind and
joining the circus (after getting any and all necessary dental work done!)? Or is it having hobbies that give you joy? I am pretty sure the answer is different for everyone. The big question is - Do you need to get off the wheel and find what makes you happy?
(SIDE BAR to this really depressing post - I wrote this post months ago, about two weeks before a exuberant, life living, amazing friend passed away. It hit me that he did NOT have a life hamster wheel and spent, what seemed like, every minute of his life living and loving every damn minute to the fullest. His passing hit me very hard because I realized that there is absolutely no crystal ball of life and it is extremely important to live each day, hour and minute like it could be your last! We all know this deep in our hearts ...... but do we live it?)
