Live the Life that YOU Want to Live!

One of the most frustrating things to watch is someone living their life according to someone else's vision. As children, we live our lives through the eyes of our parents and other figures of authority. It is through this time that we develop our own values, sense of right and wrong, and the very perceptions that shape how we view what goes on around us. When we are young, this is how we learn about life because we have little experience or knowledge from which to pick from. Therefore, we rely on others to make our choices for us. There is nothing wrong with that.

However, as we get older, we must start to take control over some aspects of our lives. For example, we start to choose our own friends rather than go on "play dates" arranged by Mom and Dad. We find that we like certain things and dislike others. Most important, we start to find out what we are good at and what we have little or no aptitude for. As we age, we should be taking control over more and more of our lives until the point where we become fully functioning adults.

For some people, however, that day never really arrives. Some people fail to ever assert themselves or take responsibility for what happens in their lives. In some cases it might be domineering parents or some other person with a strong feeling of what that person should be doing with their life. When this happens, the result is often a person who is living a life that is not suitable for that individual.

A common example is when a parent demands or forces a child to play a particular sport whether that child likes it or not. Or maybe taking music lessons on an instrument that the child dislikes. Whatever the situation, it is often because the parent did that as a child and thinks that his child should get the same benefit that they did. The problem is that child, though very young; still have likes and dislikes that may be different than the parent.

It is often been said that no two snowflakes are exactly the same and that can also be true for people. Everyone is different and what is perfect for one might be totally wrong for another. That is why the process of growing up and going through the discovery process is so very important. Parents and those in authority must allow a certain leeway with their children to allow them to discover what they like and what they don't. They should remain close by and monitor the child to make sure they make responsible decisions and do not do anything foolish or dangerous but they must not stand in the way of a child making their own choices.

When we get older, parental influence may be replaced with influences from friends, family, co-workers, or even society as a whole. A person might be discouraged from pursuing a passion or dream because others feel it is unrealistic to do so. While in some cases this might be true, pursuing one's dreams while also having something else to fall back on in case things don't quite work out might be the ideal solution.

When we live our lives according to someone else's definition of success, we often feel unfulfilled, anxious, or disillusioned. We get little or no satisfaction from our efforts, no matter how successful we might be at what we do. The fact is, unless our actions and efforts give us a sense of accomplishment, fulfillment, or joy, we will not lead a life that gives us peace or happiness.

It is hard to pick up a newspaper today without reading about someone who took their own life or is being treated for some kind of addiction because they could not cope with life as they experienced it. They either choose to end their life or took refuge in drugs or alcohol to escape the pain of every-day life. While it is not fair to make a general statement in these situations, I feel it is safe to say that these people were not living the kind of life that they wanted but rather something very different.

If you are one of those people, start walking down another path. A path that is closer to what you want to do in life and follow your dreams, not the dreams of someone else.