Stressful Procrastination

Aloha!

I don't really know where to start today. I don't really have one major thing to talk about, just many little ideas.

For one thing, I've noticed our generation often does things half-heartedly, living by the crossbar equation: less effort for more results. Trying our best to out-smart the system. We work so hard at procrastinating that we have almost perfected it. Someone once said, that what we do while procrastinating is what we should be doing for the rest of our lives. Wise words; but how does one justify doing nothing for the rest of your life? It's no longer art that we bring to perfection while procrastinating, it's procrastination itself that we perfect to an art.

Our closest companion is stress and time eludes us; as though stolen by the grey people in 'Momo'(~Michael Ende). We wander through our holidays, gazing transfixed through our camera lens, documenting every crack in the sidewalk, every building, every smile and every frown. Rushing through it, afraid of missing out on some grand sight. Missing out on everything that we don't capture on camera.

"What is this life, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare"Leisure~W.H.Davies

It seems to me, quite often, that we are all trying to outdo us, no longer competing with others but instead trying to defeat ourselves.

At a first glance, that sounds reasonable, left on its own it almost begs for someone to point out, "I no longer compare myself to others, I merely try to test my own borders."

Fair enough I suppose; in theory, but in real life we need to learn how to say no. If we don't want others to infringe upon our physical borders, we need to remember not to infringe upon our own mental borders. A minute only has sixty seconds. Attempting to squeeze in sixty-two or seventy, makes no sense. Otherwise, we'll all end up looking like this:

In the words of Homer, "Trying, is the first step to failure." but, "Failure is the first step to success." So really, our irrational, gripping fear of failure, is unnecessary. Why should we constantly fear what we need in order to improve?

Is anything really that life-shatteringly important that if we don't immediately succeed, we can't just try again?

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying we shouldn't try; after all, "The heights of great men, reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight. But they, while their companions slept were toiling upwards in the night"~H.W.Longfellow

But if we fail, or fall back down, what is the use in spending time on worthless lamenting or wasted tears, instead we should get up and start again, one step at a time.

While walking around town, I can't help but notice that there are very few people that smile. Those that do smile are, more often than not, couples or newly weds. It's sad really, that when one smiles at a passer by, they will look down and hurry past. Afraid.

Smile at a stranger, you might make their day.

Hug a friend, you might save them.

Perhaps I can't change the world, but together we can make a difference!

Love,

Amber