19 Jun 2021

Back in the day when my mum was at uni, a lecturer asked everyone in the hall to stand up if they wanted to lead an exceptional life, but remain seated if they wanted to lead a quiet life. Mum was one of the only people in the hall that stayed seated with a cheeky grin.

The lecturer then said that everyone who remained seated had to change their perspective. They needed to desire a wild, glamorous and successful life. A life of changing the world, making a name for themselves, and achieving amazing things.

There is a tonne of pressure to be extraordinary and feel worthy of our place on earth. I mean, I'm surrounded by manic overachievers and people full of shame, cursing themselves because they haven't achieved the best yet. 

 

In school, we're taught to griiind. Study so that you can get straight A's. Feel satisfaction about being top of the class. Do what you're good at, not exactly what you love. Our parents might even put a little pressure on us to be special. Wanting us to get amazing grades, smash guitar exams or win surf competitions.

So, we strive to one day write a bestselling novel, start a business or perform on stage. We want to show off our successful lives to our friends on social media. We want to live up to everyone's expectations of us. 

It's all well and good to really want those things, of course. But it's also all well and good to not want those things.

My mum is content with reading that bestselling novel, walking past that business and being an audience member of that stage performance. She's content chasing her passions without an audience - Mosaicing, painting, and gardening for her own joy. Maybe you won't find her name on the Hollywood walk of fame, but her family and friends adore her. She's the happiest person on the planet.

Maybe that's the point of life. Chasing happiness, no matter how small or grand it is. No matter what anyone thinks. Appreciating the exceptional things. Appreciating the ordinary things. 

I'll end this with my fave quote from The Office: “There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point?”