I wonder where it all started — where we started to believe that for life to be enjoyed it had to have prestige, profits, lots of properties, and an incredible amount of money.

I wonder who popularized the idea that contentment was for losers and if we didn’t work our ass off to earn lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of money, we did it wrong.

Nothing’s evil with money, prestige, or having more stuff. Sure. If those are what you need right now, then you should earn them (the right way).

But you should also realize that in everything you pursue, there’s always a tradeoff.

Want to earn more money? Be willing to work harder than everyone else. Be willing to take risks and fail, a lot. Be willing to learn more and let go of many things that don’t really matter.

Be willing to grind for years and years and years.

Overnight success is a myth. Whatever it is that you want in life, it will take you longer to achieve it than you’ve expected.

That’s the truth. And I’ve learned it the hard way (still learning it). That’s why it’s crucial to question whether that thing you really want to pursue is something you really want or not.

Are you pursuing it because you really want it? Or is it because you’re just following others?

I think what is more important is to deeply understand our true selves — who we are and what we truly desire.

It’s not easy though. In fact, it will be uncomfortable. It’ll surely take tons of questions and explorations. And our answers might change from time to time.

But at least we’re being true to ourselves and we’re forging our own paths.

At least, we’re not following the herd. And we’re not falling into the trap.