How many decisions do you make every day? From the simplest trials and tribulations of day-to-day life (what must i wear today? What will I have for breakfast?) to the nitty gritty ones that can haunt you for a life span. Have I chosen the best major? Should I settle for this task? Is this the right person for me? What if something better arrives?
It's always the way that if you're single, you desperately want a relationship and if you're happy in a relationship, you crave the single life. So what is with our generation's unrelenting need to have what isn't ours?
In a world of social media comes cut-throat competition, the constant comparison and pressure can lead to you feeling inadequate whenever you stop and take a look at your life so far. Everyone seems to be constantly dumping a perfectly good anything (job, relationship, home) to fulfill this relentless drive to accomplish more. Here's where the problem lies. With endless opportunities in our day and age, comes endless decision making and the question that plagues our minds- 'what-if.'
You see, with endless opportunities, a wealth of knowledge and the vast energy that comes with technology come dissatisfaction, restlessness as well as an inability to settle.
The battle that Gen-Y are facing is to accomplish a form of unattainable perfection – inside a bid to secure an ideal job, partner and overall instagram-worthy life all prior to the age of 30. We assume that these people that are guilty of throwing away the good stuff to explore the 'greener side' are selfish and greedy. They are insufferable in that they can't you need to be content in all that they have and sadly they have been fooled like so many by the notion that the grass COULD be greener on the other side, but really can we blame them? And more importantly, are you one of them?
It is being drilled in to our generation that we must do all of these things and much more: love, laugh, live, explore, be adventurous, be spontaneous, be successful, nail down a good job, earn a decent wage, but don't settle for employment that you don't enjoy, be stupid, learn lessons, make mistakes- shall we be held driving you crazy yet? Should you hadn't noticed, we are being taken in a tonne of different directions, so it's no wonder we are constantly playing the thought of – is this right for me?
Perfection is one thing we strive for on a daily basis, but it's something none of us will ever attain. Can we ever be content if we continue comparing our lives with people on social media? No, since the 'grass is greener' syndrome will start working and you'll start to think that maybe if you change jobs, moved houses and dumped your boyfriend in search of something more THEN you'll do it right. Wrong. Opportunity is a wonderful thing, but I'm starting to wonder whether there are simply too many unopened doors for just about any of us to ever be as content as the generations before us.
Not knowing what is around the corner might be what makes life so exciting, however it can also be torture, if, like most of society, you're naturally indecisive. Perhaps those that are exploring the other side aren't so na”ive, and actually it's those that are compromising for what they have that are- but then again, maybe not. Yes, they can say that they tried it all, but throwing everything away to pursue the unknown can frequently leave people alone and full of regret when they realize how good they had it, before they risked everything. Too many people are wasting time wondering what else is out there rather than counting their blessings.
The the fact is, there is always going to be someone doing something bigger and than you. You can either be content enough in your life to congratulate them and move on or curious enough to risk everything to go in search of your very own bigger and better happy ending. There'll always be the question what if it’s not every it’s cracked up to be, or what if it is. Either way you'll never determine if it was the right decision because we are able to only live one life. Just proceed with caution and be warned- the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
Featured image via Sergei Wing on Unsplash
