LIFE IN GENERAL, LIFE IN PARTICULAR

Life, as we all know, is unpredictable. It has no manual. Everyone seems to be existing, but not really living. We are trying to survive, trying to make ends meet, and trying to figure things out. And somehow, we are all pretending to be fine, the rich, the poor, and everyone in between. Sometimes, I ask myself: Why are we here? Are we here only to struggle, sleep, wake up, eat, and then struggle again? The same cycle, repeating endlessly. Are we here to work, chase money, and build legacies that will eventually be forgotten? Or are we also here to feel the sun on our skin and recognise it as a little miracle? Perhaps we are here to ask questions that have no definite answers. To want more. To become better. To wander far away, sometimes alone, and think until we find a reason that feels like home. Maybe life is not always about finding all the answers. Maybe it is about learning to live with the questions. You know, one of the most painful parts of living is seeking validation from people who are also trying to figure out their own lives. We spend so much time worrying about what people will say, how they will react, and whether they will approve of our choices that we sometimes forget to ask ourselves what we truly want. I once came across a saying: “When you live your life based on people’s decisions and validation, you have not started living.” And honestly, I agree. I have tried to be a people-pleaser. I wanted to be in everybody’s good books. I wanted to be understood, accepted, and liked. I thought I was simply being neutral. I thought that was just my nature. I tried so hard to stop, but I couldn’t, not until something happened that forced me to see things differently. I began to realise that trying to keep everyone happy could leave me unhappy with myself. I was so concerned about how other people felt that I sometimes forgot to consider how I felt. I wanted to avoid disappointing people, but in the process, I risked disappointing myself. And that is one lesson life has taught me: you cannot spend your entire life trying to be everything to everyone without eventually losing sight of who you are. Not everyone will understand your decisions. Not everyone will agree with your choices. Some people will misunderstand you even when your intentions are good. And that is okay. You can be a good person without being available to everyone. You can be kind without sacrificing your peace. You can love people without allowing their opinions to determine your worth. Another thing about life is that, although help may come from unexpected places and people may stand by you when you need them most, you cannot spend your entire life waiting for someone to rescue you. Sometimes, someone will show up for you. Sometimes, a helping hand will make all the difference. But there are moments when you must gather the courage to take the first step yourself, even when you are afraid, uncertain, or tired. You must learn to take responsibility for the life you want, even when you do not have everything you need to build it. That does not mean you must do everything alone. It means learning to keep moving without making your entire future dependent on someone else’s willingness to help. So, live your life. Wear the dress. Make the memories. Buy the hair. Take the trip when you can afford it. Celebrate your little victories. Enjoy the things that bring you genuine happiness, but do not spend your entire life chasing material things to prove your worth to people who may not even be paying attention. There is a difference between enjoying what life has to offer and exhausting yourself trying to impress people. You do not have to own everything to enjoy life. You do not have to reach every milestone at the same time as everyone else. And you certainly do not have to wait until your life looks perfect before you allow yourself to be happy. Sometimes, happiness is in the little things we overlook while waiting for the big things to happen. Life does not always reward the loudest person in the room. Sometimes, it is consistency, patience, and quiet determination that make the difference. Learn to appreciate peace over unnecessary noise, progress over perfection, and growth over comparison. Nobody has everything figured out. Even the people who seem to have their lives together are fighting battles you may know nothing about. So, be patient with yourself. You will make mistakes. You will disappoint yourself sometimes. You will have days when you question your decisions and wonder whether you are doing enough. That does not mean you are failing. It means you are human. Give yourself room to grow. Allow yourself to change your mind when you learn better. Do not be so afraid of making the wrong decision that you become too afraid to make any decision at all. Life is uncertain. Tomorrow is not promised. The people we love may not always be around, opportunities may come and go, and some of the things we work so hard for may never happen the way we imagined. But perhaps that uncertainty is also a reminder to pay attention to the life we are living now. To love a little more honestly. To worry a little less about people’s opinions. To stop postponing every moment of happiness until we have achieved something else. To understand that we are allowed to be works in progress. I do not think anyone has completely figured out life. We are all learning, unlearning, making mistakes, finding our way, and trying again. Perhaps the goal is not to have a perfect life. Perhaps it is to build a life that feels honest, meaningful, and truly ours. A life where we are not constantly performing for an audience. A life where our worth is not measured by what we own, who approves of us, or how far ahead we appear to be. A life where, even when things are not perfect, we can still find reasons to be grateful. Nothing is promised. And you can still keep going anyway.