We may all be victim of holding on to goals which we may not even deep down want.
You may be disappointed because you never acheived ____, though you may realize that you no longer want to.
People change. Their interests change. Their views change. Their circumstances change.
For example, 5 years ago, I had the goal of writing 12 short stories and 1 novella over 5 years. It's been 5 years, and I have not written a single work of fiction.
And it used to really feel hurt about that. Every time I would start to write something, I would feel uninterested, in disgust, and even pain, because I felt I had to write a short story. And now, I stand in front of a folder that would have been a large collections of writings, that is empty. Now, I realize. Who cares? The lack of accomplishing this goal wouldn't have affected my life in any way, unless it is something I gained pleasure out of doing.
Not just writing, but I used to want to play the guitar 5 years ago. It is now collecting dust, and I might even sell it.
This even applies to social situations. There have been many people I used to feel inferior to 5 years ago, I admired them, because I was unable to impress them. Now, I realize, they were just normal average people, like me. Or my interests have changed so much the people that I used to be close friends with, I no longer talk to.
Though I have picked up new hobbies and goals, which are more important to me, give me more pleasure, and have more of an impact on my real life.
So the mantra "don't give up", is not an absolute one.
If something is not giving you happiness and it is not essential, abandon it and start something else which is more fulfilling to you.
Just because you didn't acheive a certain goal does not automatically make you a failure. It just means it may be a sign that there's better things out there for you.
19 Sep 2011, 1:31 pm
