If you were to ask me how I feel about life and I answered you honestly, the answer would be that I always feel like a failure. I don't really know what I want to do with my life (well I kind of know but I'm not in the position to build on my ideas yet) and I don't have a 5 year plan. I've heard it's normal for people in their twenties to feel like this so I just roll with it but knowing that doesn't make it any easier. We live in a world where normalcy is seen as inferior and success is constantly flaunted in our faces. Even reality TV isn't real and the basic life standard we are expected to achieve is almost impossible to reach. The bar has been set far too high. I can't speak for everyone, but this all leaves me feeling down, incomplete and not good enough on a regular basis. So when I'm having a down day and feeling like the only person who isn't on some fast track to the stars, I head over to the Humans of New York Facebook page to marvel at the normalcy and find pride in the hard working every day people it features.
This morning two stories stood out to me in particular and made me smile. I'd spent the morning doubting my future again because I've decided I want to buy a house. I didn't just wake up and think right this is it, I want my house now lol it's an idea I've toyed with over the past year and now it's decided. I want a house in my name. Once the initial excitement of setting a goal wore off I quickly realized how hard this goal was going to be to achieve. It dawned on me how long it would take and even though I will still go for it regardless just the thought of it was getting me down. I can't help but wonder, if I'd have taken a few different turns in life would I have my own house by now? Am I late to the game? Will I even be able to afford anything by the time I get my deposit together? I live in London after all and the prices jump up every month here, for all I know I could be reaching for an impossible goal. As these thoughts rushed through my head I spotted a story on the daily mail website about 17 year old Kylie Jenner's new property purchase, a 5 bedroom 6 bathroom £1.73 million mansion. When I was 17 I was still wearing hair clips with mini ice creams stuck on them and the closest I came to buying a house was stocking up on far too many £1.50 mini pillows from Ikea. It's moments like this that make me feel like a failure, but luckily I'd already found my two idols of the day to cheer me back up.
“This used to be my store. I put everything I had into it. I dropped out of school when I was 16, and by working two...Posted by Humans of New York on Monday, 22 June 2015
“Even though the business eventually failed, I view it as a success. My dad was an immigrant from the Dominican...Posted by Humans of New York on Monday, 22 June 2015
"After I finish my shift at the bakery, I start my shift at Starbucks. I work 95 hours per week at three different...
Posted by Humans of New York on Saturday, 10 January 2015
The first story about the man who lost his store reminded me that its better to have tried and failed then never have tried at all. There's so much to be learnt from failure and in the end it builds you as a person. An old friend once told me 'The moments that break you are the ones that make you' and I understand this more and more as the years go on. It's not what happens to you in life, it's how you react to it and the person you become. The man in this story is truly inspiring, regardless of the outcome he has chosen to hold onto the positives and even though he lost his store he's not letting that overshadow the fact that for a moment there, he made it. He saved $90,000 to achieve his dream of starting his own business and knowing that reminds me that I can too.
The second story is everything I needed to read and more. A short and sweet tale of true hard work and determination. Not only has this incredible woman supported her children through college but she has absolutely no intention of stopping there! She's dreaming big and will be going to college herself one day too. She's playing the long game and clearly does not care how long her dreams will take to achieve, were talking decades of hard work and education here. But one day she's going to wake up and every single person under her roof will have the education she wished for them, including herself. Her story reminded me that the length of time something will take to achieve shouldn't be a deciding factor in whether you go for it or not. The time will pass anyway.
So next time the weight of the world is getting you down and you need to be inspired or even just reminded that you're not alone, visit the Humans of New York Facebook page and among the many different stories you'll find complete gems like the ones above. THIS is what true inspiration looks like. Celebrities posting bare faced makeup free selfies on Instagram is not inspirational. Owning every single Mac lipstick available is not inspirational. Buying the newest iphone before anyone else is not inspirational. Saving $90,000 dollars to achieve your dream of starting a business is inspirational and putting all of your children through college and then yourself is also incredibly inspirational. It's people like this that make me truly believe I will achieve my dreams one day and I will buy my house.
So next time the weight of the world is getting you down and you need to be inspired or even just reminded that you're not alone, visit the Humans of New York Facebook page and among the many different stories you'll find complete gems like the ones above. THIS is what true inspiration looks like. Celebrities posting bare faced makeup free selfies on Instagram is not inspirational. Owning every single Mac lipstick available is not inspirational. Buying the newest iphone before anyone else is not inspirational. Saving $90,000 dollars to achieve your dream of starting a business is inspirational and putting all of your children through college and then yourself is also incredibly inspirational. It's people like this that make me truly believe I will achieve my dreams one day and I will buy my house.
Until next time, J xx
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