The beauty of messing up and "falling behind"

If you ever feel like you’re doing something wrong - what, or who, are you comparing yourself to? 

There’s this unwritten set of rules that we seem to be following - we need to be x, y, and z by age 25 to be successful. That there’s only one path to success and it’s probably some kind of stable business job. That you need to be working out every day, that taking time off is lazy. That you always need to “have your life together” because messing up means you’re failing. 

Think about the bigger picture for a hot second. Think about the millions of people around the world who choose to live life differently - people in different countries and cultures who have different measures of success. Even in your own country, there’s no agreed definition of success that every single person shares (that would be a little freaky and dystopian tbh). 

NO two people have the same path, and just because your path doesn’t look like what you think it “should” doesn’t mean it’s wrong. 

I felt like I was messing up instantly if I didn’t come straight out of university with a full-time job, even when I took a year off after high school I thought I would “fall behind” (I don’t know what I was behind, people going to the office?) Where did this unspoken rule come from that taking risks is irresponsible, that travelling the world for a couple of years instead of focusing on advancing in an office will lead to a more successful life? 

Success is whatever you want it to be. Whatever makes you feel happy - that is how you should be living your life. (And yes it would be lovely if I took my own advice, we’re working on it people!)

I’m not saying to f*ck off and never work again in your life, we can’t all be Kardashians. Work, and life, don’t have to look a certain way or take a certain route for you to be successful. Validation that you’re doing the right thing shouldn’t come from looking out into society and seeing a million mirror images of what you’re doing; but from the passion, you feel when you’re doing it. If that happens to be what others are doing - dope! Friends for the ride! If not? Equally dope! Your real friends are still there. 

Travelling, going through treatment for anorexia; I’ve met so many people with so many different, niche passions who completely opened my westernized eyes.

They reminded me that there’s not just one way to live.

Your idea of messing up could be someone else’s idea of “getting it together”. (And on the idea of messing up - honestly what’s fun about having it together?)

I feel like that’s where the adventure comes from. 

Okay, that’s my hippie rant for the day, off to buy a camper van and travel the world. Who’s in?

Kate