Stop Asking “Why Me?” and Start Living – Find Your Path to Happiness
As the saying goes, “the journey is the reward.”
Proverb from China
This classic adage has been shared with most of us at some point.
I’m not going to lie; there were a few years when I completely forgot about it.
The travel and the payoff—well, I get it. Cool. When is my ship going to arrive, please?
And it’s not like I was trying to hoard anything. Simply eager to reach the destination known as Made It. There seemed to be company, and I couldn’t wait to join them.
The moment I saw the Made It brochure, I knew it was the perfect venue for me.
There was no one definitive map, thus finding It was quite the adventure. Your own creation is required.
First, make a sharp right at “Work Really Hard,” read the first instruction on my map. The process should be repeated over the next three to five years.
Even though there won’t be any warnings, you should probably avoid getting off at the exits labeled “Partyville” and “Cul-de-lack-of-Discipline.”
Don’t let your mind wander; keep alert, and you’ll get where you’re going.
Once I figured out my route, I figured it would be a quick journey, especially considering how well prepared I was.
I packed lots of roll-on resolve, laser concentration, large-ruled integrity, networking prowess, thank-you letter stationery, and extra socks (tenacity may make you perspire) in my duffel bag.
Oh, and sunscreen; I get a tan quickly, and it gets quite hot in Made It.
I had high dreams ever since I was a teenager, so I intended to get to Made It early, set myself up, and then move to Write Your Own Ticket for the summer.
At the age of twenty-five, I had lofty aspirations of owning a two-bedroom apartment in a chic downtown M.I. high-rise, replete with a friendly doorman and a massive beige sectional couch large enough to accommodate a family of six.
My motto in life was “go big or go home,” yet I reached the age of twenty-five without having settled down. More than once, I had been stranded because I had no more gasoline. I had to call for help with my vehicle a couple of times (each time it took forever).
“Why me?” It would make me sad to see other automobiles zoom by on their way to Made It. It’s like, “They’re not even looking over here!” I would whine about it in envy.
I would slam on the brakes, still yelling, “Why me?!?” whenever anything difficult came my way, like stones sliding down a mountain into the road in front of me.
Be warned: Why Me? are asexual and may quickly multiply in the wild; like the Tribbles from Star Trek, they can quickly take over your life if you let them.
Then, after some time and travel had passed, two fundamental aspects of my life transformed.
To start, I now understand the phrase “go big or-go-home” to mean something different than I originally intended.
Two, I quit wondering, “Why me?” and I began to inquire, “Why?”
Why Me? not only kept me from reaching my objective but also monopolized the radio.
So, I told Why Me? to go outside and let Why in.
Again, why?
Because the first question in each lesson, no matter how basic, is always Why?
An impartial and sometimes gutsy Why?
These include…
What is it attempting to teach me, and why is it occurring in a manner I didn’t anticipate?
Or, “What am I missing?” How come I can’t see it?
“Why does this keep happening over and over again?” I didn’t think I needed to be reminded of this. For this attempt, what do I need to study?
I had never met. Why? To me, a setback represents an unwelcome diversion or, even worse, a breakdown.
I’ll never make it to Made It!
An early instance of the results of displaying Why me? the exit and invited Why? to come along.
The management at the summer job I worked at twenty years ago demoted me since I didn’t confirm my return to the company sooner in the season.
Why me? may have been an opportunity for self-pity. manage it, turning it into a disaster of burned bridges, shame, and certain joblessness.
I chose to let Why? take the lead. After all, it was a piece of cake.
How did I get demoted? The upper management dumped me, but why?
Now that I think about it, I took the job for granted and had an unrealistic expectation that the corporation would hold on to my position even if they were rejecting more qualified applicants.
Why Me? would have preferred to run away, but Why instead accepted responsibility and the downgrade with grace.
I was subjected to a barrage of inquiries from coworkers throughout the better part of the summer over it, but after a few months of dedicated effort, I was reinstated to my old job.
Why? taught me a valuable lesson that has improved my professionalism and helped me maintain it ever since.
To ride with Why? successfully, one must not be terrified of the answer.
It’s the type of reply that makes your innermost self enthusiastically affirm Yes.
Life becomes less of a boondoggle and more of an exquisite riddle demanding to be solved when we allow Why? to accompany us on our excursions.
Made Then After a while, you may start to lose interest in it since, like me, you will realize that you have already passed it.
For the last twenty-five years, the question “why?” has been at my side at all times. The question “why?” may be quite entertaining.
Before you go on your first trip with Why?, know that he has the potential to, and likely will, shake things up for you. Don’t get mad at him; give in. As his employer, this is his responsibility.
He wants you to look at things more closely than you have previously.
If you shout, “Hey!” loud enough, he may even toss your priceless map out the car window. I still need that!
He may race ahead of you and drag you at a quicker pace than you’re comfortable with, eventually leading you to a rest area you vowed you’d never go to.
Every time he gets there, he takes the hood off.
That’s why! When you’re not used to being around him, he might come off as a bit of a rabble-rouser.
If you can keep your composure and have If you hang around, you’ll find that he has tasty food, an unusual kind of travel insurance, and doesn’t need to use the restroom too often.
You’ll get so attached to him that you won’t want to go home without him.
I owe Why? a fair amount at this juncture in my existence. In large part because of him, I rethought what it meant to be “big.”
“Big” now implies prosperity for myself and my loved ones, a sense of purpose and meaning in life, and an absence of anxiety and stress.
“Big” may also signify affection, delight, optimism, unity, and appreciation.
Why? has made the effort worthwhile.
It’s paid off tremendously.
