#539 It doesn’t matter what I decide

Opportunities often stare us in the face in our daily interactions, routines, and familiar environments – and that guise of the ordinary makes them invisible.

After all, seeing the value in something that comes so easily to you is hard.

So it takes an outsider to point it out.

What skill are you taking for granted even though it’s really pretty cool?

What comes naturally to you but is hard for others to do?

Which problems can you solve effortlessly? If you solve them for others, how would that set them free?

If I want to act differently, I let go of the past.

If I want to act the same way I always did, I cling to the past.

Both clinging and letting go have their place.

I could cling to a habit of eating healthily, or treating others with kindness.

But maybe I could let go of a habit of self-criticism.

What benefits me? What benefits others?

What harms me? What harms others?

Who do I want to be?

An aspiring writer who doesn’t believe writing is a valuable skill in our current society and focuses on building a traditional career instead.

An aspiring runner who doesn’t believe running is a good use of their time in our current society and goes out for drinks every night.

An aspiring classical musician who doesn’t believe society will ever appreciate their art – and goes into pop music instead.

If you want to turn aspirations into achievements, you’ll have to decide for yourself what’s valuable, even if it goes against what society and tradition prescribe.

So to make writing a valuable skill, write.

To make running a good use of your time, run.

To make the world appreciate your classical music, practice classical music.

To make anything worthwhile, show that it’s worth your while.

Because going against the mainstream is not just necessary to achieve your aspirations – it’s what makes your aspirations valuable in the first place.