The Myth of Making It

 You're here. You were there and now you are here. But where are you going?... 

It's that age old generational conditioning that we face in this so called "Western World". A world built on success, goals and dreams. Or however you want to view that Class (A)merican Dream trope. As you look at the clock at your dead end job just waiting for it to inch closer to when you can clock out, what are actually doing? Killing time? Waiting for the weekend? Sometimes a good job is great for awhile and then we start to slip into a state of compliance, routine and comfortable drudgery. 

Daydreaming and setting goals no matter how abstract or unattainable they may seem, tends to be a type of potent past time that distracts from our current mental and physical situation. The grass may greener on the other side, but have we even tried watering or fertilizing our own damn side? We tend to take the small things for granted. The stabile income. The blessings of shelter. Love from friends and family. The comfort of central air conditioning. Etc. etc. It's that craving for more that tends to get us. That constant need to achieve, improve, grow and be something more than what we have now. Don't get me wrong, there is great misery in complacency, but there is just as much suffering in ambition and desire especially when we can't even be grateful for what we have at this very moment. 

When will it ever be "Enough"?

The beauty of being present is that there isn't always a need to make a move to feel more comfortable about yourself. Scatterbrained people tend to never rest or taste the actual fruits of their own labor. It's always about the next banana. Sure, they might have enough bananas now, but imagine how many more they could acquire. Maybe even a banana palace. But what happens when a goal is achieved? More goals! When you are constantly focused on achieving goals, you tend to miss the in between. The habit of goal seeking just trains your mind to seek more goals. Bigger and better goals at that. (Whatever that means). Wanting more bananas and getting more bananas tends to lead toward wanting and getting more bananas. 

 Hero worship is intrinsically intertwined within the fabric of Western Whatchamacallit Society. We see all these "successful" and "rich" people and tend to want to BE like them. Imitation has always been a driver for those that want more than what they have now. Just floating in the that imaginary sphere of how they want their lives played out. Like a movie. Like a game show. Like an adventure. The imagination can quickly distort the eyes of the imaginer. Imagine that. Look at all the stuff and praise that we see from all these successful people. Their multiple cars. Their decadent houses. Their ability to put on a smile in a sea of masses that seem to worship their every move. Success can lead to drug like effects and a disconnect with reality. What a travesty an obsession with self image can be. 

It's all about context, isn't it? Who is to say that you have not already made it? Are you content? Are you healthy? Do you have a vibrant community of family and friends that seem to illuminate your life on the day to day? It's these little things that are the gold nuggets. Nuggets of gratitude and wisdom. This comparison of what is successful and what is not can only lead to more suffering. Are you better off than you were 5 years ago or more? Seems like a legitimate question. Every little mistake and "success" that you have made has lead to this place anyway. Every little regret and misstep. It's not hard to see when you break it down. So maybe you could have a little more money? Maybe you could move into a better paying job? No one is telling you to stop or throw up your hands and be ok with what you have now in perpetuity, but being present is one of the only constructive things you can do NOW. There was then, but you know what's happening right now? 

The myth of making it relies on the axiomatic supposition that things will get to a point where you will think you have made it. One tiny problem. What happens when you don't get to that point? Does anyone get to that point and keep it up sustainably? Is it ever really enough? What if you were to change your perception on it all together? Couldn't "Making it" just be about waking up every morning with an awake and somewhat cheerful disposition? I mean can it really be that simple?! What you make of Making It is on you. There isn't a formula. A formula would imply some mathematical answer for such an abstract and nearly absurd concept such as "Making It". When can leave it as a myth. Most of the times myths are helpful and carry more truths than we tend to think. Maybe the myth of making it has been a way of waking us up to how we are driven and what we tend to fall victim or fool to. Maybe this rat race has never been a thing for everyone and every point in history. Think of all the successful people that are unhappy or destructive. So you see, correlation does not always equal causation. 

When we tie ourselves to external successes within the world we tend to step further from our own center. The core of serenity. The core of reflection and perspective. The inner reflects the outer. And visa versa respectively. 

In the future, little did they know that Making It was all about being alive. Within every second. Within every hour. And within every passing day. Time is all about context and how we see it. Time is what we make it. Create in every sense of the word. Ideas come and go. They fade like memories. 

One day we are on the couch laughing with a loved one then we find ourselves on a beach with no sense of prospects, wants, needs or desires. What's driving to try to be so successful anyway? Why can't we enjoy the waves in front of us and watch how they slowly dissipate to a soothing roar at the end of our feet? 

DG