Wednesday
Dec032008
We should be singing and dancing.
December 3, 2008You may or may not have seen this before, but it sums up how I feel about life rather succintly:
Every time I get down about not having enough money or being in the right job or having the kind of success I thought I'd have by this age, I try to remind myself that my life is happening, right here, right now. And so is yours. And come to think of it, we should probably take a really long trip to Tanzania. THOSE WILDEBEESTS AREN'T GOING TO PHOTOGRAPH THEMSELVES, PEOPLE.
Reader Comments (30)
Ahhh... Too right, Sarah. Now I'm all depressed because I've come to the realization that I'm never going to catch that carrot on a stick...or the dragon to put it in South Park terminology.
This is exactly what I needed...right when I needed it.
Thanks for passing it along...
Life is a journey, not just a destination. That's why we're supposed to stop and smell the roses.
Excellent Sarah, thanks for sharing some of Alan Watts timeless wisdom. Really good stuff, loved his books and tapes back in 70's.
sarah... just block-out the noise. many people don't even have the guts to talk about being unemployed, etc. like it's a disease that is just way to uncool to mention. i was in your boat earlier this year. i got laid off and soaked it up for ~4 months. i was lazy, took the whole summer off, went home to cali, visited some friends, wrote, read, watched film, listened to music, got drunk, got stoned, and appreciated some solitude. but you always tend to feel like an outsider to the employed world. why? because we are conditioned this way by society. to have a job is to define your existence. of course that's a complete load of bullshit. you are on the road of unpredictability, just like everyone else. and just because they have a job doesn't mean they are satisfied. just try to take advantage of the time you have, be constructive, and find something inspiring if at all possible. best of wishes... your time will come.
Aaron, very wise words.. and you're right, you DO tend to feel like an outsider when you're unemployed. Which is crazy! Life is so much more than a career, even a career you really love (though so many people don't even enjoy theirs).
Thanks!
"life is what happens while we're making other plans"
Well done, Sarah - I appreciated this piece of life very much
I was actually just having this same conversation with a friend of mine-- about age, and where we thought we’d be, and where everyone else is in relation-- and he said, “don't forget that you can be as much a measuring stick for other people as they seem to you."
Meaning, we all have accomplishments that are uniquely our own, and even if they aren’t necessarily in the most traditional of molds, they are still worthy of admiration. A certain salary or position is no more valuable than the experience of having traveled the world, for instance.
I’ve decided to try and stop worrying so much about these things. And set my own goalposts as I please.
I say again -
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.-Mark Twain
What an awesome video. Thanks for sharing! Things may seem kinda rough now, but be assured, they will get better. Have you considered going to grad school and working towards get a Masters or PHD in a mass com related area? And if you pick the right school, maybe you could get take some interesting photography classes along the way? And with a grad degree, you could always teach. You've been such a great teacher already. You've taught us about websites, how to work software, about computers, science, and much more. Even in your last post you've given us insight into what it's like to be a junketeer--a job most of us could otherwise only make guesses about. That information you shared (teaching) has been VERY VALUABLE to us. And I would like to give you a very big sincere thank-you for all you have done for me, and for the rest of us who have had the fortune of being able to listen to you. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing. Good stuff.
Yep, that is just what I needed with my coffee. I will try and dance a little and maybe hum something today.
Thank you!
Yeah, that one never gets old.
THANKS SARAH!
Photograph them wildebeests, Sarah.
Self esteem comes from you, not a company or a manager. Look at the followers you have. How many times do we have to gush over your photos, or praise your ideas. You think it is idle fan flattery. Unfortunately it isn't. You're talented, interesting, and a great person. Don't believe us? Ask Kevin, or Patrick, or Leo. A job takes advantage of your skills for the benefit of the company. Relax, those skills are portable. They leave with you. You'll find your way, and we'll all be richer for it.
I remember seeing this a long time ago, but it's clicking with me a lot more this time around. I'm posting it on my Facebook so my friends can see it too. :)
In a way, you are lucky. You are getting a chance to step back and take a look around. Take a look at the journey so far, quite a ways in your case if I may say so, and look forward to where you want to go.
I have a little plaque on my desk at home that says "Never confuse having a career with having a life". Generally, I would not agree with that saying as I truly believe that happiness can come with a "life's work" that includes both life and work. The problem is that so few of us take a look around and figure out what that means to us. We simply take a job to make ends meet and miss the opportunities to change directions and find joy in our work.
I am currently in an introspective mode of assessing my journey so far and if I want to take a fork in the road. As Robert Frost so eloquently put it:
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
Take your time to look around the yellow wood of life and pick your road. You will be thankful for the opportunity later.
Thank you for sharing and inspiring.
John
That is why I've been a Stay-at-Home Dad for the last 2 1/2 years. I refuse to miss time with my daughter that I'd never get back.
Wow. That gave me goosebumps, or at least a warm tingly feeling on my arms. : P
Thank you for posting that. And thanks to @kevinrose for tweeting about your dinner cause that's how I found you and this. Cool. Some lessons need occasional reminders. Thanks for this one.
Thanks for posting this,Sarah. I've been down too lately!
I heard that basic ideal before but not put in that way. I think it clicked better this way. Thanks for posting that, it's what I needed. Hope things get better for you too. I think I'm gonna post that on mine too now :P
Totally wasn't what I was expecting. Love it.
Well, I have a ten day jail sentence for drinking on probation starting the 26th of December, so I'd definitely go to Tanzania, no problem.
sarah
"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly."
--Anonymous
BrionG
On Saturday, stop and smell the Roses. Oh, one more thing, open "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". Check the 2nd habit on "Begin with the End In Mind".
I feel love...
Alan Watts rocks. Thanks.
Life is not about what happens, it is about what you do about what happens.
Buddha said it best. Suffering exists. Suffering comes from craving or desire. Suffering can end by ending desire.
OR to quote Spock. "Sometimes the wanting is better than the having."
We search the Cracker Jack box of life only to find a cheap crappy 'prize' at the bottom of the box!!!
This brings to mind my favorite quote. It's Ren & Stimpy.
"When life hands you lemons, squeeze the juice directly into someone's eye.
If you must suffer, make others suffer as well."
:-D
I love this entry, it's so true. I love you Sarah Lane, plan the trip... I'll be there.