It's been a few weeks since I've been in tune with myself to write something, but I've been seeing a recurring theme on social media that has really been upsetting me. I'm sure you've all seen it before, and you might be guilty of it yourself.
You're scrolling along on Instagram or Facebook when suddenly a picture sticks out to you from a person you're close to. The caption reads "Just wishing it was Friday already!" Or, "What I would give to be on vacation right now!" with a picture that looks like the .GIF below.
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If you're the two percent of people who haven't seen a post like this dead in the middle of winter, feel free to leave my article because this might not apply. For the rest of you that are probably rolling your eyes in agreement or might even be offended because you think I'm targeting you, continue on.
I get it. The weekend is nice, not having a metric ass ton of work to do can be nice, and dreaming of beach vacations is nice. But what purpose does it serve? Does it make you any happier to dream of the next Friday and weekend excursions to come? Bear with me here.
The weekend or your next vacation to come is something that we have all pondered at one time or another, and that's okay. However, people must understand that wishing for these "glorious" moments in our lives, whether it's as simple as binging Netflix on the weekend or as complex as a vacation in Aruba, rob us of our day-to-day happiness. How?
If you are living a life centered around this, it is merely a form of escapism that you are unaware of. Your desire to hit the town on a Friday night is natural. Wanting to do so because you hate school/work/what you're doing at the moment is a reflection of a much deeper lack of self-realization. What am I getting at here?
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I enjoy taking a vacation and having some lazy time just as much as anyone else. It's healthy to unplug from your day-to-day routine every now and again, especially if you are under a lot of stress. But wishing for the moments where you unplug from your routine means that you are incredibly unhappy either with yourself or what you do for a living. Trust me, I got defensive when I heard this for the first time, so if this unsettles you, listen to what I'm about to say.
What kind of life is worth living where your goal for the day is for 5:00 p.m. to come so you can go home, jump in bed, and take a nap? Naps are great, but naps don't inspire great ideas and fulfill your soul. I see college students that dread going to class every week, hate the classes they are in, write papers they don't want to write and take tests they don't want to take.
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On the outside looking in (as a college student who is almost done), is this how you want to live the rest of your life? As a 22-year-old now, I'm glad that the highlights of being 20 and 21 weren't me being out at the bar with my friends or spring break trips to the beach. I'm thankful that I wasn't so miserable with myself or with what I was learning in the classroom that I had to live for the Friday night to come, for darties to go to, and for ways to escape the "treachery" of a day-to-day routine.
I implore my peers now to take a long, hard look at themselves and to ask "Am I living for the weekend? Am I living to escape?" If there is any other answer than "no," there is work to be done and changes to be made. Happiness is being able to say "Yes, a vacation does sound nice. But I am incredibly blessed to do what I do every single day. I don't have it all figured out, but I'm happy to be where I am at now."
Growing up doesn't mean avoiding fun, or not enjoying a break every now and then. Growing up means finding fun and happiness in the ordinary.
