Don't Sweat The Small Stuff... & It's All Small Stuff
You've probably all heard that expression before. Perhaps many of you will have even read the book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... and it's all small stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things from Taking Over Your Life although I must confess that I haven't yet gotten around to reading it myself. Still I do hold to the general principles.
Life is a journey filled with many twists, turns and crossroads. If you allow it then almost any point in your life can be construed as 'do or die'. For example two of my nieces have just sat for their QCS exam [essentially a Uni placement examination that determines their 'ranking']. This exam is seen by many as a 'do or die' moment. Almost as if their entire future depends on the outcome of this one test.
The truth is, however, for all these 17/18 year olds this exam is just one of the twists of life's winding road. Yes, their mark will determine what University offers they are ultimately presented with, but it's not the end of the world if they don't get the mark they think they should get. Even in the worst case scenario, that they receive no University offer - is that really the end of the line? I don't think so.
Speaking for myself, when I sat the equivalent test way back when I was 18, I had no intention at that point of ever attending Uni. I was eager to start life, to start making some real money. At that age I could barely see past my nose or beyond the next big night out with my friends.
I had no way of knowing then how my life would change as the years went by - how could I? And that's really the whole point. You have no way of knowing today what tomorrow will bring. Something that seems earth shattering to you today will seem almost insignificant with the passage of time.
There is, I believe, far too much pressure placed on people today [of all ages]. Perhaps that is one of the reasons we have seen an increase of violence in our schools and our workplaces. Society places unrealistic demands on people to conform, to know exactly where your future is headed, to plan ahead etc etc.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not undermining the seriousness of certain life events. All I'm saying is that what seems critical today may not be quite so important tomorrow. Why cause yourself unnecessary stress over something that, in the long run, may turn out to have negligible impact on your life as a whole.
My older sister has always proclaimed that the true value of life is about the relationships we form. I totally agree. When all is said and done your relationships, your memories are of far, far more importance than any exam result. Nobody ever received a eulogy about their exam results or their bank balance - at your graveside people talk about who you were as an individual and how or what impact you made on the world.
More than anything, when my life is done, I would like to be remembered as a decent person. Would it be nice to be a famous author? Sure, I'd love that. Am I proud of my academic achievements? Absolutely. But in the end I'd like to be remembered as a loving wife, auntie, sister, daughter etc. I hope that when the time comes I will look back on a lifetime of experiences, different relationships and continuing growth of my character.
So live well, love extravagantly, give deeply of yourself, enjoy the moment and treasure the relationships you form. And, of course, don't sweat the small stuff :)
Life is a journey filled with many twists, turns and crossroads. If you allow it then almost any point in your life can be construed as 'do or die'. For example two of my nieces have just sat for their QCS exam [essentially a Uni placement examination that determines their 'ranking']. This exam is seen by many as a 'do or die' moment. Almost as if their entire future depends on the outcome of this one test.
The truth is, however, for all these 17/18 year olds this exam is just one of the twists of life's winding road. Yes, their mark will determine what University offers they are ultimately presented with, but it's not the end of the world if they don't get the mark they think they should get. Even in the worst case scenario, that they receive no University offer - is that really the end of the line? I don't think so.
Speaking for myself, when I sat the equivalent test way back when I was 18, I had no intention at that point of ever attending Uni. I was eager to start life, to start making some real money. At that age I could barely see past my nose or beyond the next big night out with my friends.
I had no way of knowing then how my life would change as the years went by - how could I? And that's really the whole point. You have no way of knowing today what tomorrow will bring. Something that seems earth shattering to you today will seem almost insignificant with the passage of time.
There is, I believe, far too much pressure placed on people today [of all ages]. Perhaps that is one of the reasons we have seen an increase of violence in our schools and our workplaces. Society places unrealistic demands on people to conform, to know exactly where your future is headed, to plan ahead etc etc.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not undermining the seriousness of certain life events. All I'm saying is that what seems critical today may not be quite so important tomorrow. Why cause yourself unnecessary stress over something that, in the long run, may turn out to have negligible impact on your life as a whole.
My older sister has always proclaimed that the true value of life is about the relationships we form. I totally agree. When all is said and done your relationships, your memories are of far, far more importance than any exam result. Nobody ever received a eulogy about their exam results or their bank balance - at your graveside people talk about who you were as an individual and how or what impact you made on the world.
More than anything, when my life is done, I would like to be remembered as a decent person. Would it be nice to be a famous author? Sure, I'd love that. Am I proud of my academic achievements? Absolutely. But in the end I'd like to be remembered as a loving wife, auntie, sister, daughter etc. I hope that when the time comes I will look back on a lifetime of experiences, different relationships and continuing growth of my character.
So live well, love extravagantly, give deeply of yourself, enjoy the moment and treasure the relationships you form. And, of course, don't sweat the small stuff :)
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