I have yet to receive my driver's license. I am closing in on 30, and I have yet to get it, despite having taken driving lessons nearly 10 years ago. Now, just like me, there are a lot of us who have delayed or procrastinated from doing things that we know we must or should do. Whether that is creative or not, we sulk and rot away in our own mental prism of self-neglect.
And no, this is not an attack. On the contrary, it's actually just a snap back to reality. An awakening.
Memento Mori
Why have I decided to speak on this, you may ask? Well, it is simple, really. One day, we will eventually die. Yep, that simple. Most of us already know this and have even accepted the fact that the day of our passing on will inevitably come. We have already acknowledged the Reaper slowly creeping up, day by day, to claim us, but then most of our answer to this realization will be, "Oh, I am still young, I have time to do it later", or the other extreme, "I am too old, why bother". And then we went on to feel comfort in this state of Limbo, the not doing. Now our situation becomes the "then what?".
While I mostly talk about things from a creative standpoint, it is safe to say that this can be applied to many people from all walks of life. Again, this is not me trying to evoke you into anxiety or depression mode, but quite literally pushing you towards a calm approach to what seems to be a dilemma.
The "then what?"
We all have things we innately would like to do. That trip we want to go on. That book we want to write. That gym I wanted to sign up for.
But now that we have accepted the reaper and our own stagnation....then what?
If that future is what is to come, what should I do? Why should I bother to do it? How overwhelming.
I will tell you exactly what.
Forgiveness.
It is ok that we allow the worrying to take hold of us. It is ok to not necessarily feel inspired or motivated at the moment to do anything towards a specific goal. It is ok to feel behind. It is ok to look back and realize that you probably could've done more. Who knows where you would be, what you could have become. We can accept that we have more potential within us that we have never truly tapped into, we can accept that we might've stunted our own growth and progress.
But instead of beating ourselves up about it. Forgive ourselves. Forgiving ourselves is the first step to the "then what".
We might believe that our lives have wasted away, but the truth is, there is a story in every moment. The fragmented "scraps". Every TikTok scroll, every cheat meal, every drunk night. A story seeps through the creaks of every second lived and every second yet to be experienced. The meaning of that story however, is up to us. We get to decide the next chapters of our book. Use all that knowledge and other experiences to help forge your new path.
Scraps that you may deem old and useless can create a beautiful sculpture.
Final Thoughts
In the end, maybe life was never about becoming perfect before we begin. Maybe it was simply about beginning despite the imperfections. We do not owe the world a flawless version of ourselves before we choose to live fully. The truth is, as long as we are still here, there is still room to move, to build, to heal, and to try again.
The clock does not stop, but neither does the possibility of change.
So take the lesson, forgive the delay, and carry the scraps with you. They are not proof of failure, but proof that you survived long enough to continue writing your story. And perhaps one day, you will look back and realize that the broken pieces, the pauses, and the years you thought you lost were all part of the sculpture becoming whole.
Lets talk in the comments below.
What will be your next move?
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