Attitudes is to Altitudes
In work, its promotions. In music, its decibels. In video games, it’s tiers. In engines, it’s horsepower. In education, it’s degrees. And in life?
In a game of association, most would personify life as a path. Growing up, I am sure you heard about the “path” you should take. Whether it be in terms of career, education, relationships or even lifestyle, there always seemed to be a “right” path that was supposed to bring you all the success, happiness, and love that the world had to offer. The truth is, there is no such thing as a right path. It’s more of a facade where we are always meant to wonder about the “one that got away”. What if I picked the left instead of right? What if I chose blue instead of red? What if I picked law instead of medicine? What if I had said no instead of yes? If life was a path, I would be stuck in the same place constantly worrying about that right I could have taken, the blue I could’ve picked, the career switch I could’ve made, or the no I debated on saying. Defining life as a path is like picking alternative routes that leads to the very same destination. Except the only reward is that you got there in 35 minutes instead of 40. There was no intensity, elevation, or growth that you experienced having lost those 5 minutes. The path we associate life with is simply meant to be the stepping stone that leads us to another altitude, better suited for our growth, mindset, and lifestyle.
How many of us have climbed up a flight of stairs just to say that you made it? How many of us enjoy the feeling of making it all the way to the rooftop? A hike up a mountain? You feel an initial euphoria. And in the simplest sense- alive. The feeling that most would describe as being “on top of the world” You took that time to go up that rooftop knowing it wasn't the most leisurely activity you could've picked, but you did. All for the view which took away the exertion, the fatigue you felt on the way up. That was the reward. There might be times where you may take all that time to walk up those stairs with hopes of feeling that euphoria only for it to not be the view you envisioned or the view that did not live up to your expectations. And that’s okay. Because maybe that wasn’t the view meant for you. Sure, you could make it work. You could convince yourself that it’s not all that bad. That maybe things could change if you just held out a little longer. That maybe it's fog blinding the skyline at the peak of summer. Fog that never dispersed away whether rain or shine. There's nothing wrong in trying to find beauty amongst chaos. But, misinterpreting chaos as beauty is where we fall short. What I'm trying to say is, don't give up because it's hard. Give up because you recognize that it doesn't serve you any purpose. Let it be a symbol of redirection. One that gets you to question, “Where to next?” That question in itself is meant to be your segway to a whole new altitude. Life is a lot like running up a flight of stairs, where you may trip, fall, and even have to take a break. But- with every setback you attain a higher altitude.
A key may fit perfectly inside the lock, but there’s never a guarantee that it'll turn. It's only with the right conformation of the key will you unlock a view meant for you. So the next time you catch yourself twisting the key in agitation for the fifteenth time, take a step back and try a different door altogether. Because the truth is, it was never the key that was flawed, you just happened to be at the wrong door.
In work, its promotions. In music, its decibels. In video games, it’s tiers. In engines, it’s horsepower. In education, it’s degrees.
And in life, it's altitudes.
