One-Size Wisdom For You And Me
By: Daria Krauzo
Tags: Inspiration, Self, Creativity, Millennials, Life

‘Contentment is a matter of will. You have to look at what you have right in front of you, at what it could be, and stop measuring it against what you’ve lost.’

I know this to be wise and true, just as I know that pretty much no one can do it.

We love to say those things. Like, you know, that time heals everything, and happiness is a matter of will, and if somebody leaves than it is only because somebody else is going to arrive, and if nothing is going the way you wish it went then it is only for you to be redirected to something much much better very soon. And you should fail fast, obviously. And be grateful for your glorious mistakes. Great, but if it was really that simple, wouldn’t we all be cured and light, jumping around on our pink unicorns and singing I am walking on sunshine, oh oh oh?

I have a big problem with universal truths. The problem is this: they are too universal to be actually true.

I have been writing lately about the fact that I do not want to know everything. But I also do not want to pretend as if it was actually possible. I find it endlessly disturbing when I am somehow lost, or confused, or just not feeling right and somebody tells me with a long look of infinite wisdom something like ‘There is time for everything in life!’ or ‘There is no rainbow without the rain!’. Dude, seriously? Do you really think it is of any help?

Challenge 1: I found this picture while searching for ‘personal growth’. Can somebody explain to me why a granola jar? Would plain oats be good enough or are raisins and nuts essential? Is granola some secret ingredient to success? Am I missing something?

I live in this reality where everyone is being their best and brightest, where we are all supposed to have entrepreneurial spirits and where we all need to stay curious and hungry, all the time. I don’t think I can escape it. Sometimes I even see it as supporting and inspirational. But other times, I just want to be without the need of proving something to somebody constantly. In the system where I got my education, I was mainly taught to be fast, faster, the fastest. I know how to work under pressure, and obviously how to do proper networking (the word networking gives me goosebumps, I promise). And then I finally graduated and found some writing about the Slow Thinking movement on the contrary end of the reality:

The only thing for certain is that everything changes. The rate of change increases. If you want to hang on, you better speed up. That is the message of today. It could however be useful to remind everyone that our basic needs never change. The need to be seen and appreciated! It is the need to belong. The need for nearness and care, and for a little love! This is given only through slowness in human relations. In order to master changes, we have to recover slowness, reflection and togetherness. There we will find real renewal.

So I am trying to recover the slowness somehow. I am trying to imagine the course of life differently than through speed or milestones. Although this is exactly what I am used to.

Challenge 2: I would love to finish this article with an actual solution, or something really wise at least. The thing is, I have not exactly found it yet (I hope to be on my way though).

I even asked the ashtray in front of me. It didn’t answer. Smart ashtray.

If you have an idea, please share it below!

(If possible, do not quote Paulo Coelho.)