Our lives should be a continual journey that gets better and better as we advance in time. Why is it that we sometimes allow ourselves to get stuck in places and situations that are unfulfilling, and do not bring us true joy? Whether a job or a relationship? Is it that we just become lazy and complacent? Are we paralyzed by fear? Or is it because we have succumbed to the notion that true happiness is a myth?
Complacency
Oftentimes we find ourselves doing the same thing, the same way, day after day. Yet, the life that we are living has become lackluster and routine. Begin to view life as a journey, and not merely a destination. Don’t arrive at a certain place and just decide to stay there. Continue to travel through life, experiencing one new adventure after another. How will you discover life’s treasures if you are not willing to explore its many facets? If you stop at your first destination, and decide that this is where you want to live forever – you may truly do yourself an injustice, because life has so much more to offer.
Complacency sneaks up on us. We accept a particular lifestyle because we view it as comfortable. But the bigger question is, “Is it ideal?” Why do we allow ourselves to get trapped in this place of hypothetical contentment, and all the while complain that we are unfulfilled? We talk about the things that we desire to accomplish, but fail to take action. We become lazy, and rather than get out and explore other opportunities, we just accept where we are and do not take the necessary steps to produce change. We make excuses and put things off until “tomorrow”. And then tomorrow turns into tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow – then NEVER.
Fear
During our lifetime we will undoubtedly experience some type of fear. But such fears as FEAR of failure, FEAR of rejection, FEAR of change, FEAR of the unknown (to name a few), can be detrimental to our growth and well being. Fear is often a silent inhibitor, because too often we are not able to identify this as the source of our stagnation. On the surface, it may very well appear to be one thing – but at the root is where we uncover the truth… fear. One can never effectively resolve any issue if you fail to identify the true source.
Happiness… A Myth?
Realistically, we know that the perfect life does not exist. Perfect by definition refers to something that is free of problems, errors, or shall we say, "roadblocks”. What we fail to realize is that roadblocks are a necessary intrusion in our lives. They are designed to get our attention – to redirect and get us back on course.
Attempting to achieve something that is not realistically attainable is setting yourself up for failure. So let’s not focus on the perfect life, let’s instead aspire to live a fulfilling life; one where joy outweighs pain. True happiness does exist, but we have to be willing to make the investment of self discovery so that we unquestionably know what it takes to truly make us happy. Ingredients for a happy life are not scripted, therefore you cannot go by what society dictates as necessary elements for true happiness. Only you can determine what is necessary and best for you. We create all these fantasies in our minds of the various things that we desire, and most often do not take it any further. Put it on paper. Write your personal story of how you desire to live your life. However, you cannot be satisfied with this accomplishment alone, because at this point your story is simply a book of fiction. Once you write your story, you must then live it out. Only then will you see the transformation from fiction to non-fiction.
In conclusion, I have determined that, for me, a Sabbatical is very necessary. A Sabbatical is defined as a period away from your normal routine - a time to immerse yourself in a different environment, a chance to see your life from a different perspective. Yes, this is absolutely what I need – and have a feeling that I just might be in good company. From time to time, especially when we are going through transition, we definitely need to take time out to purge the clutter from our mind, reassess, and get things back into perspective.
Wishing you a Happily Ever After.
Makkah Time
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