We are a rare animal. The only one of its kind. We humans have the incredible ability to feel all types of emotions, feelings, pain, happiness and joy. Yet, with the society we live in today, being human is never enough. We have to be “super human”.
So what exactly does it mean to be “super human?” Well, let me enlighten you. Being said “super human” means to be at the top of your game for everything, take all honors and AP classes, be the president of every club, participate in varsity sports, theatre, community service, religious entities AND find a cure for cancer. Well, maybe not the last one, but that would be pretty cool.
With the constant pressures of society pressuring us to the max and spreading ourselves so thin. We do not enjoy things that are truly important like family and friends. You would think that high school would allow us to enjoy our teenage years, when in fact it is making us dread them just to attain that perfect Harvard resume.
What we seem to forget so often is what true happiness means. Happiness cannot be attained quantitatively. Scoring a high score on a test is not happiness-it is gratification. That gratification lasts about two-seconds until we get the next assignment and the 95 we just got on that AP Physics test is no longer good enough. We just NEED to get that 100. What we don't know is that striving for that 100, is not allowing us to live fulfilling lives. We are so consumed about doing things in worries of what other people will think of us that we forget what it means to be happy and fulfilled.
Take the next five or so minutes and truly come up with a list of things that make you happy. Here are some rules: they cannot be quantitative or material things and it has to bring HAPPINESS, not gratification. It will be challenging, but it will encourage you to put aside all of the “resume” fillers.
Laughing endlessly with a friend truly brings pure happiness. Holding the door for someone brings happiness, learning something new for the only benefit of enriching your life and not to vomit it back up is happiness. Not stressing out so much that you miss out on the most important years of your life.
I am regretful of thinking that the amount of “resume builders” you have makes you a good or bad person. I used to think that the people who seemed to have the perfect resume’s were automatically going to be the most successful. After digging so deep within myself, I finally reached an epiphany that success can be measured in so many terms. Just because you got into Harvard does not mean that you will be successful for the rest of your life. Just because you got a coveted internship does not guarantee success. Yes, those things can open up doors, but you must walk in through them yourself. Life does not hand you happiness, it is something you have to achieve yourself.
Next time you compare yourself to the picture perfect person, just note that what you see in that moment is just a snapshot of their life at that time in space. Some of the most successful in my opinion did not go to the most prestigious university or have the most coveted job, but were able to dig deep within themselves to find the true meaning of happiness.
