Is your life based on a template produced by societal expectations or are you actively designing your ideal life on your journey to freedom, success, and wealth?
When you walk into a car dealership, ready to pick out your next vehicle, it’s like standing at a crossroads in life.
You're surrounded by shiny models – sports cars that promise speed, SUVs that speak of rugged adventures, and luxury sedans that demonstrate status and success.
Now, most people feel the pressure to choose a car that will impress others, like opting for that sleek, high-end sports car because that’s what they think will make them look cool and powerful.
But is that really the best choice for their daily needs and happiness?
Choosing a car solely based on societal expectations can lead to a mismatch between their true lifestyle needs and their vehicle.
For example, buying a sports car might seem exciting…
But if your reality involves driving through city traffic to shuttle kids to school and back, a sports car isn't practical.
That’s why it’s not just about the car… it’s about choosing a lifestyle that fits you.
The art of decision making includes the art of questioning. –Pearl Zhu
To start defining your ideal life, ask yourself a few key questions:
Your legacy is being written by yourself. Make the right decisions. -Gary Vaynerchuk
When you ask yourself these questions you can come to some very interesting conclusions…
For example, you could discover that you prefer simplicity over luxury…
So instead of working hard trying to buy a luxury car that comes with high maintenance costs and a hefty price tag, you should choose a simple, reliable car.
This decision not only reduces your financial burden but also frees up your budget, allowing you to work part-time and spend more time on your hobbies.
You also need to think about what's truly important to you…
If being available for your children's school activities and having quality family time ranks higher than professional achievements, you might decide to take a flexible job.
This job might pay less than a high-stress corporate position, but it fits your life perfectly, allowing you to be there for your family when they need you the most.
A decision made from fear is always the wrong decision. –Tony Robbins
Also, consider if your passion could guide your career choices…
Perhaps you love traveling and photography.
So instead of staying in a demanding city job that confines you to an office, you transition to freelance photography.
This change might mean a smaller income, but it dramatically increases your personal satisfaction and significantly reduces your stress levels, making every day more fulfilling.
A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers. –Plato
Just like choosing the right car for your actual life’s needs, shaping your ideal life requires honesty about what truly makes you happy and fulfilled, not what others expect of you.
By understanding how you want to spend your time and the resources you really need, you can build a life that feels authentic and fulfilling.
Don't let societal expectations dictate your choices.
Drive the car – and live the life – that truly suits you.
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Has your Mind ever wondered…
Of course, your ideal life will look different from that of others, and that is exactly the point.
Your ideal life is the kind of experience that is fueled by your happiness, your values, and your purpose.
Who are you when nobody’s looking and what do you love doing in your free time?
How would you prefer to spend your time each day and who would you rather spend it with?
How much work do you really have to do to live the life you dream of and where should you put boundaries in place?
Whether what you want is similar to societal expectations or not, consider your unique situation with care because you create your life and what you create is based on what you believe.
We build our identity around what we know.
What we know is mostly what was taught to us, and what is shown to us through the influences we allow ourselves to be exposed to.
Whether you identify with a character in a movie, a product on an advertising banner, or a model’s body language in a commercial, these are all messages signaling to you how you could look, feel, act, do, or be if you have a certain something…
They are suggestions, not a rule of thumb, similar to the expectations that society has for it's members.
How we engage with the people and the world around us is often a preprogrammed response that we hardly give a second thought to.
And the impact that social expectations and such conditioning have on the populous can be more disempowering, disarming, and destructive than we think.
Rather than being bottlenecked into the mind of the average working-class patron, consider your own values, desires, and priorities, and build your life and business according to what makes you happy, not what makes you fit in.
Know who you are, and what you’re truly after.
It may be freedom, it may be wealth, or it may be both.
Also know that you’re the only person who can achieve the potential required for you to have what you really want.
Where societal expectations often help people hide behind the comfort of consumerism, distraction, and inaction, allow your own integrity, desires, and values to guide your journey to success on your terms.
Figure out what your ideal life is by asking yourself what brings you joy, what your values and priorities are, and how you’d like to be remembered.
Happiness is the essence of success, wealth, and freedom.
Question everything, from perceived leading authority to societal expectations, and base your decisions about what you desire for your ideal life on what aligns with your personal goals and intrinsic values.
Prioritize your happiness and set the boundaries necessary for you to build the life you want - don’t settle for the life someone else wants for you, or worse, the life others say you should have that won’t benefit you in any meaningful way.
By taking time to learn, grow, practice, and reflect on your journey, and with the influence of supportive peers and meaningful relationships, your clarity and confidence will strengthen.
Remember, happiness is a choice, and this life is too short to spend a moment feeling anything less than joy.
I'm learning to choose a happy life for myself rather than go with what society offers that will make me unhappy and unfulfilled.
This was an awesome article. It helped me open my eyes about my values, expectation, and what brings me joy.
very nice
Juste pour vous dire MERCI pour un de plus que vous apporter dans notre quotidien positivement.
Alors, moi je comprends pas bien l'Anglais, tout les articles que je reçois de votre part je les traduit en Français pour pouvoir les lire. Car "ma volonté d'apprendre dépasse tout les impossibles"
[Translated from French: Just to say THANK YOU for one more thing that you bring to our daily life positively.
So, I don't understand English very well, all the articles I receive from you I translate them into French so I can read them. Because “my desire to learn surpasses all the impossible”]
I have learnt to invest and live within my means
I loved how it opens your eyes and makes real life comparisons for us to really see what we want in life. We choose to follow society most times but live unhappily.