one of those

I've been thinking. And that often means one of these philosophy-laden blogs, with insights gained and unfortunately not often used. The phrase "a life less ordinary" has been stuck in my head all day, as I continue to stroll aimlessly through my everyday routine. Everyone wants to live a life less ordinary. Not everyone wants the run-of-the-mill, 2 kids, 1 dog, white-picket-fence-filled picture of a normal life. Not everyone wants a comfortable, slightly above-average salary and the corresponding occasional moment of higher enjoyment. Not everyone wants to slog through a thankless 8hr work day in order to save enough money for a once yearly, one-week trip to an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean. Not everyone wants to constantly scan restaurant menus for the affordable or more practical item or look at the price-tags on clothes before registering anything else, like style. I could keep going but hopefully the point is emerging.

At some point in your life you have to take careful stock of where you are and where you want to be. And if you're not where you want to be, you'd better make a plan to bridge the gap or forever be stuck in the poisonous world of "what-ifs". What if I took the lower-paying job with better long term potential? What if I went back to school to upgrade my education? What if I got up the nerve to ask that girl out? What if I quit my job and traveled the globe without a care in the world? What if I chose substance over superficiality? It's a constant, mind-numbing world of second-guessing and doubt that can become overwhelming. Even painful.

But most of us will never reach those heights, most of us will never be the superstars. Most of us will never reach our dreams. Why not?

I would assume most people strive for self-improvement. I think and hope that it is inherent in all of us. The world though, and life, gets in the way. Instead of becoming caught up in a tidal wave of self-doubt and disillusionment, bridge the gap. Make a plan. Don't become one of the mindless cogs in this ever-intrusive world of ours. Make a change and make a choice. If you're not on the path to success you're on the path to mediocrity. (Thanks I just made that up. Fuck you Tony Robbins!)