I once heard a wise man say we do things we don't like and buy things we don't need to impress people that don't matter to us.

My first thought was yikes. My second thought was what the heck do I do?

Let's stop to think about that for a moment. We do things we don't like and buy things we don't need to impress people who don't matter. What I gather from that statement is that we all have unnecessary "obligations" we feel we must fulfill to impress people who we don't care about.

Why?

One way it was explained was in the reference of keeping up with the Jones' which is not like Keeping Up With the Kardashians because who has the finances to do that-I sure as heck don't. Keeping up with the Jones' is that idea of having the white picket fence, the new car, the greenest grass, and the perfect lifestyle.

It makes life competitive. Which isn't inherently bad, but it isn't inherently good either.

Competition is good because it drives us to be "better" versions of ourselves, we push ourselves to achieve more than we dreamed we could as children. Competition keeps us ambitious and is the cog that turns the machine. It encourages us to try out for the team, gets the degree, applies for the position, and hopefully bring about great positive change to the world.

On another hand, competition can be incredibly unhealthy. When the competitive spirit becomes an obsession to be perfect or to step on others to get to the top. If we are simply seeking to glorify ourselves and make others feel less is when it becomes problematic.

In the rat race to be "couple goals" or "hair goals" in a stranger's eyes, as we can lose sight of what's important. We simply do things to impress others, I hope in the process you impress yourself and find the meaning behind what you do.

I totally use social media to post pictures about myself and what I am doing, and I also use Odyssey to share my ideas but it isn't so I can compare myself to others. It is mainly just to have fun and try new things.

Sometimes you need to keep your business to yourself. Nonetheless, we post and we push to get likes from people we aren't close with. For what? A fleeting happiness could equate to a drug addiction because you have to the act to be happy again.

All in all, I say do what makes you happy and do it because it truly makes you happy and does something that benefits the ones you care about. If you want to spread love and make a difference put your phone down and go volunteer your time. Post about to get the word out, don't make it all about yourself.

Stay in the rat race but make sure your finish line is your dream and not someone else's.