what to do when your life isn’t going the way you planned

“It starts with, one thing, I don’t know why. . .”

If you’re in your 20’s chances are you have experienced the classic – I don’t know what I’m doing with my life – slump. At some point in our lives, we are bound to either lose focus or get confused about why we started doing what we are doing. Although it’s quite normal, it’s not pretty. Uncertainty and a sense of purposelessness can leave us unnerved.

I think this happens when we are too hard on ourselves. When we force ourselves to follow the proverbial life script handed to us by the ever so considerate (I hate to use the word) ‘society’.

Here’s the thing though, you always have a choice. You can either follow the script handed to you upon arrival to this world or you can write your own. In the case of the latter, you have to brace yourself. You will not be applauded. Dissonance is rarely appreciated, it makes people uneasy and you have to be comfortable with that. And because you’re inevitably a pea in the societal pod, you have to make yourself comfortable about not following the chalked out road.

In our struggle to follow the script, we become so encapsulated in our shells that our perspective on life is the only reality we deem to be true. It makes us stagnant, monotone – uninteresting. It’s an insult to the immense power and depth our minds possess. We have the ability to live so many lives if only we look up and look sideways.

Being the over-thinker that I am (I’m talking lists, to-do’s, calendars, memos etc.), I always had a plan. I did make some unpopular choices in my life but they didn’t make me wander far away from the plot. Graduate from college, get a job, get a masters degree, and when the right opportunity comes along, get married. However, somewhere down the line, I stretched myself too thin trying to hold on to my to-do list. I was losing my sense of purpose, draining my energies over milestones that were only in my head.

When you find yourself in this position it’s time to stop. Take a step back, turn off the GPS on life and see how many alternate, though equally valuable and rewarding, paths you can take.

Hi Y’all, Welcome to The Hamster Ball.

Modern philosophy suggests that we all live in concentric circles. Just like a hamster in a hamster ball. We can never completely break free of our little spheres so the trick is to keep expanding the circumference. So much so that we’re virtually free.

So hop on. Let’s let go of the script and be comfortable with it. Try to expand and explore the world outside our own hamster balls. OR, you can watch from the outside. I don’t mind as long as you’re sending in good vibes.

“… I design this rhyme to explain in due time, all I know.”

Comments

  1. I know how you feel. Keep the great articles coming!

    • Reading posts like this make surfing such a plruease

  2. Amazing work komal, you have a talent for words. I love your blogs.

    • The Hamster Ball

      How do you say Thank you, Sharan in Pashto? 😀

  3. You were always good with words <3 nice work bro!

    • The Hamster Ball

      Thank you <3

  4. Perfect!

    I felt like I went back in my 20s .. good to see you have the analytical approach to dissect the hallucinations this “society” casts our poor little brains when we are in that age..which I like to call an age of confusion and conflicts

    • The Hamster Ball

      Thanks a lot. It is indeed a difficult time but we can soften the blow by breaking things down and discussing them 🙂 Stay tuned.

    • Your posintg lays bare the truth

  5. we all live in concentric circles. Just like a hamster in a hamster ball. We can never completely break free of our little spheres so the trick is to keep expanding the circumference. So much so that we’re virtually free.

    Love these words…nice work

    • The Hamster Ball

      Thanks a lot.

  6. I am in my twenties but this made me feel it. Loved this

    • The Hamster Ball

      Sending positives thoughts and good vibes your way!

  7. What are we if we follow the script that the society is forcing to do? We are the master of our lives, we can write our own scripts. But I did not know this back 11 years ago, if only I know what I know now back in my 20’s maybe things were different. But we live and learn.

    • The Hamster Ball

      It’s a journey, you can’t get there in a day. This is the kind of realization that comes with experiences 🙂 Kepp living and learning <3

  8. Stepping outside our comfort zone can be a real challenge but once we do it, our path reveals and we find our life purpose. Great article!!!

    • The Hamster Ball

      So true 🙂 Thanks for reading!

  9. This is very true for me. My 20’s were very hard for me since everyone was tell me what they thought my path should have been. It was very hard for me to find myself and what I wanted to do with my life. Great post.

    • The Hamster Ball

      The important thing is to realize what you want at some point. Good for you! 🙂 Thanks.

  10. When we are younger we think that we should stick to Society’s plan. As life goes on we realize we are the Creator only of our own life. I love this article. Great job!

    • The Hamster Ball

      Yes, it takes time and experiences that come naturally with age that help us burst our bubble. Thanks for reading <3

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