Do You Really Want It? Or Do You Want The Symbol it Represents?

A lot of people chase wealth, health, love and success not because they actually want it, but because of the symbol it represents in having it.

Think about it like this: a lot of us want to be in a relationship, right?

But a lot of us want that relationship not for true union and companionship, but to be able to say we’re in a relationship…

Or becoming financially free: a lot of us want financial freedom not so we can spend more time with our loved ones, or to have more time to do what we love…

But rather to boast: “look how rich I am!”

Or becoming physically fit and healthy: are you doing it for you? Or for what people will say about you?

When I think back to it, a lot of kids did this in school.

They were straight-A students not because they were passionate, but because they were terrified of what their parents would think if they performed any less than that.

And then they went on to college not to pursue something they loved, but to impress their parents and the society they’d been raised by…

And then years later, when all is said and done, we realize to our horror that we’ve succeeded… but for them. Not for us.

And to make it worse? They don’t even care. Their “congratulations!” gave us a short-lived high that left us only seeking more.

It leaves us feeling robbed, shorted, jipped.

All because we lived our lives for the validation of others rather than for the pursuit of our passion.

Don’t live for others. Live for you.

Their opinion of you means nothing when it comes down to it.

Your opinion of you means everything.