When we were children we believed that life was easy, but as we grew older that belief changed. Our views became cynical. However, it does not have to be that way. I'll be the first to admit that my life did not go smoothly as my younger self had perceived. I had my fair share existential crisis. But, after inhaling through endless amount of self-help guidance materials and breaking through hardships, I found some simple truths that pieces the soul back together. So as a motivation and cartoon junkie, here are 5 life lessons demonstrated by Rick and Morty.
1. Fighting with yourself will hold you back.
Self-love- a simple concept, yet a difficult mission for most. For years I’ve struggled with genuine and long-lasting happiness. I was always a “when” person. I’ll be happy when this happens or I’ll be happy when I accomplish that. But, when I finally do achieve those goals, the joyous feelings only last so long. I’ve only started to realize that happiness is within and self-love is a quintessential aspect. Notice that most of the negativity in life stems from the inability to love oneself. Jealousy, hatred, and failure root from the comparison to others and feelings of inferiority. When you start to love yourself and appreciate everything that you have, the world illuminates. Tip- always remember that being imperfect is not wrong.
2. Things don't always go as planned, in fact most of the time.
This is the irony in life; we were always taught to plan for the future, but the paths we end up taking often times differ from the route we planned to take. Take the stress over choosing majors for example, we get anxious picking out our majors because we taught to think that our field of studies is our life sentences. However, when post graduation comes along most of us end up pursuing jobs or careers that stray far from our years of studies. So if you hate your major or struggling to find choose one, chill out. Your major does not determine your life.
3. Getting exactly what you wished for may not be as you envisioned.
4. Life will break you.
One of my favorite quotes: “Life breaks everyone, and afterwards, some are strong at the broken places,” Ernest Hemingway. No matter how strong you are or the amount the hardships you’ve overcome, there will come a time when it’s all too much for you to handle. When that time comes, allow yourself to break down. Cry, scream, runaway -- let it all out. After that, get up and know that things will get better if you want it to be. Healed bones are stronger than never broken bones. But it only heals if you choose not to continue the damage.
5. When you just do you and let thing flows, life will get better.
I use to be so caught up in everyone else’s’ opinions and feelings that I neglected my own. I was drained of energy. I was tired of all the drama and arguments. So, I woke up one day, said fuck it all, and lived happily ever after. Well, at least a good majority of the times. Whether or not you admit it, you care about what others think of you. There’s no shame in that; it’s human nature to desire acceptance. Just learn to filter and prioritize your values. What’s more important- improving yourself or trailing behind in order to make others happy? You may be a people pleaser, but please choose yourself. I promise that focusing on yourself will be more fulfilling than trying to please everyone.
