In today's society, so many of us are “workaholics.” Many of us are married to our jobs and / or school, or are simply so motivated to succeed in the society we live in today that we sacrifice our personal lives.
Today, everyone is so focused on their grades, their jobs, their resume, etc., that we forget about living our lives. We all dream of having amazing jobs and amazing lives, and many of us are willing to sacrifice our personal lives for this cost. Many of us are driven and motivated by our passions, our goals and our ambitions. We forget, though, that this isn’t what will comfort you; your ambitions won’t keep you warm at night.
It won’t hug you when your sad or watch Netflix with you at 2 a.m. while eating Domino's Pizza. It won’t be there to hold your hand when you fail a test or snuggle with you and have late night talks with you about the world. We are so focused on our achievements that we forget these things, and I am a heavy perpetrator of all of this.
I am defined by my ambitions. I am defined by my leadership roles, my desire to be busy and my craving for success. I am defined by my thirst for the life I want to live, the people I want to be surrounded by and the job I want to have. I am defined by being the 19-credit-taking, 3-job-and-2-internship-having-sport-captain who goes to the gym every day and is alone when she is not doing any of the above. I often don't take time to be with friends or to hang out and enjoy myself while furthering my relationships with those around me.
There is nothing wrong with being this person. It’s who I am day in and day out, but it is something I know that I need to adjust. When most people hang out with friends, I hang out by myself, decompressing from all of the work I did that day. We often forget to say no, to take time for ourselves. We self-medicate by staying busy, but that doesn’t necessarily matter at the end of the day.
People say, “Happiness is only real when shared." You can’t be happy about your ambitions if you have no one to share it with. The top is a lonely place sometimes, but it isn’t so lonely when you’re surrounded by friends and those who care about you.
Your good grades won't keep you warm at night.
Your job won’t keep you warm at night.
Your ambitions won't keep you warm at night.
Keep your friends close. Take time to build relationships with those around you, whether it be a friendship or a relationship. The success is only sweet when you have someone to celebrate with.
