The Pressure to Keep up With Society Is Slowly Draining Our Energy
Get This, Do That, and Then You Will Finally Be enough..Is This Really It?
Society puts a lot of pressure on us. Everywhere we look, there are messages telling us we need to get the latest gadget, wear the trendiest clothes, or binge the hottest show. The media bombards us with images of seemingly perfect people living picture-perfect lives.
But no matter how much we try to keep up, it never seems to be enough. There’s always something else we “need” to buy or do in order to fit in or be successful. This constant pressure to consume and achieve can leave us feeling drained, overwhelmed, and like we’re never quite good enough.
That’s why today, I want to dive deeper into this topic. Why do we put this pressure on ourselves? Do we even realize it? What can we do to regain our own energy instead of giving it away?
The Rat Race of Modern Life
I am not excluding myself from this. I also still suffer from comparison, to reach certain goals, be it “become more independent”, “make more money”, “find more freedom” and similar beliefs. I don’t think those goals are the problem, but I think putting myself under huge pressure to achieve them can be.
The “rat race” of modern life has us running faster and faster just to keep up. Many of us work long hours at stressful jobs, rushing between meetings and deadlines.
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In our precious free time, we hurry from one activity to the next, squeeze in a workout, meet friends for a drink, and try desperately to relax. (No wonder meditation is booming, many are searching for a relief that doesnt cause more harm)
We multitask, we hustle, we stretch ourselves thin trying to do it all. But instead of feeling accomplished, we just feel exhausted.
When is Enough Really Enough?
Somewhere along the way, we’ve gotten the message that we must constantly improve, achieve, and acquire external validation through material things or accomplishments. And if we don’t, we have failed in some way. (Or at least that’s what many unconsciously still believe)
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But no matter how much we attain, it’s never quite enough. There’s always something else we “should” want: a nicer car, a bigger house, a better job title, more Instagram followers.
The goalposts keep moving, the finish line keeps receding. When do we reach a point where we can say, “I am enough”?
Hey👋, please stop for a few seconds.
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Time for a New Narrative
What would happen if we stepped off the hamster wheel for a minute and questioned the dominant narrative that we must always produce, perform, and prove our worth?
Maybe we’d realize that our value isn’t defined by likes, followers, promotions or paychecks.
Maybe we’d give ourselves permission to opt out of the rat race entirely.
Maybe we would search for more sustainable ways of living and being
Maybe we would create communities centered about what we have learned…
Let’s turn this “maybe” into a “We have”!
Join our slack community called “mindful collaborations” by filling out this form, so I can invite you per email. You will find a lot of like-minded people there:)
If you have other ideas or have a question, want to collaborate with me somehow, write me:
This isn’t a call to drop out of society and move to an ashram. It’s a suggestion that we consider easing up on the constant striving to meet external benchmarks.
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Do less. Want less. Be less “productive.” — Sometimes being less productive and easing the stress you feel can actually help you be MORE productive in the long term, because creativity and thinking outside of the box aren’t skills you have when you are constantly stressed.
Give yourself time and space to simply exist without having to accomplish anything.
This will lead you into a pathless path, into something you can’t easily describe. You will still do, but it won’t be based on lack and fear and will feel much lighter.
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When we stop buying into the story that we’re not enough as we are, we can start living a more authentic, fulfilling life, freed from the exhausting pressure to keep up.
I hope you got something out of this post! I had fun creating it:)
Please share and take care! With love, Tobias from KnowledgeCollective.
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