Truthfully, I underappreciate many things in life. I am from a position of privilege, generally speaking. I am very fortunate to attend my school and to have such friends around me. I am ignorant most times to how truly good things can be, and all too often I feel as if I just let life pass by, unimpressed by what lies in front of me. Selfish no doubt, I have realized I do not put my best efforts into some aspects of my life, a trait which I despise.
Make no mistake, I care immensely about many things; personal relationships, my English major and general debauchery to name a few. I do what I do well. I produce quality work. I put in my hundred percent day after day, and it pays off. The point is, things which are well done are done because of care. Actually caring is key. In a larger sense, every society excels in what they value much like the Athenians in comparison to the Spartans. As long as you truly and actually care about something you can succeed.
Caring is not always easy, not to me at least. Not a very comforting sentiment, but an honest one. I often find myself in patterns of thought which ultimately diminish myself. If there is no real purpose for life, no real reason anything exists. What is the point of anything? I have various feelings about this idea as it is both liberating and condemning, as Jean-Paul Sartre would say, for we have no personal responsibility for our existence Yet we are responsible for our actions. Most likely an unrealistic concern but hey, that's me.
Distractions are how I live my life. I find things I care about and invest myself in them. Life has no purpose or meaning, but you must find meaningless purpose to distract yourself. Through doing so you can actually find success. Taking pride in what you do and committing to it is how you do things well. Life is a pointless ride where we die before we can ever really matter, so find what you like enough to forget the meaningless and become immersed in it.
Caring, though underrated, is important. Everyone cares about numerous things, but to actively care, to openly express how much something or someone means to you is truly what matters: quality relationships, quality bonds and quality experiences. Caring is pretty sweet. Childhood memories seem so warm and positive because of quality, I think. Being young may mean you care more, everything piques your interest and you invest fully, and even looking back on these memories can conjure powerful feelings.
Care a little more. It's pretty cool.
