Trust Yourself

Since childhood we are taught that money doesn't grow on trees, it's ingrained into our child minds that as an adult chasing the green paper is what should be our goal. We innocently role play shopping scenarios and adults feel that playing out societal expectations is encouraging us to conform and know our role in society when we finally reach adulthood. 

Finish school. Go to College. Meet your other half. Get a degree. Get married. Get a mortgage. Pro create. Retire. Die. 

Seemed to be the tried and true timeline of human events. Our generation is breaking the mold a little here, we're foolishly following passions that pay little or in some cases nothing, choosing to reap spiritual rewards, shunning social expectation and struggling in life with the notion that our passions - our dreams in the end will work out and we are on the path to true freedom. Personally, I was one of those people who was once scared of what would happen have I strayed from society's blueprint for what measures success and financial security, I couldn't bare the thought of following my passions and struggling to pay my bills. But, I did it anyway. One of my favorite quotes (and I do have more than a few) is the following from Lana Del Rey, can we take her seriously as a source of inspiration? Well, I'd say with this quote she is absolutely onto something.

 "It takes getting everything you ever wanted, and then losing it to know what true freedom is."

There is something that appeals to my innermost soul about absolute freedom. Having nothing to worry about, but having enough to survive and I have often wondered, is this what our generation of bohemians who stray off the societal blueprint crave? Do we find comfort in the unknown? I know I have definitely learnt to, learnt to find and outlet and pursue it so passionately and unapologetically that it  sets my heart on fire and fills me up with something a six figure paycheck could never compare to.

Sure, in every generation there have been souls who haven't conformed, but ever so more in this current economy I constantly hear discouraging words in regards to courageous effort when it comes to striking out on your own. Are those voices only trying to silence their own regrets of a generation lost? Should we continue to do what makes our hearts dance and what gives us reason to wake up in the morning?

The way I see it, effort is required in every single thing you ever undertake, so why not make it worth your while and channel your heart into something that makes your soul feel truly alive. Life is short and if your heart is in something enough you will fight tooth and nail for it to make it survive and flourish - so why not keep going. Financial reward is only the icing on the cake, don't let a materialistc world tell you what your values are, listen to your heart, listen to your inner voice when it's silenced. Who's silencing it? Don't let it be you.