Can we do ourselves and others a favor and normalize starting over in 2025 as we face uncertain times?
We all have to start over at various points in our lives, and we never know when we may have to change our situations due to events such as death, natural disasters, financial difficulty, or just learning how to navigate life. I've seen this picture circling social media, and it's gotten mixed reviews from those who laugh to those who understand a person's situation.
For our young people who are just navigating life, I encourage you to go out and take advantage of everything positive offered to you. A roof, an essential car, a steady income, food, and utilities paid are great to start with. So, if your apartment only has an air mattress, a small television, a laptop, a phone, and food, you're doing well.
I admit I was on an air mattress about twice as I navigated life. It took not too long to get back on my feet to do what I needed. Even after getting back on my feet, my past still haunted me to the point where I needed to push harder to get back to the full me. That was depression, regret, and allowing your past to dictate your future. That's why I'm dedicating this opinion piece to everyone who was either at a slow starting point or had to start over at one point.
We live in this stigma in this country where folks want you to be "established" by a certain amount of time by their choosing. We set ridiculous deadlines for each other to brag about what we have instead of others. We always bragged about having a dollar or two more than others, especially when that's all we have. We must stop putting a price tag on folks' lives and success.
If we focused on our own pockets and success, we'd be a lot happier in life. Instead, we're always in the pockets of celebrities, politicians, and folks we believe can afford to give more than their means based on the houses they live in and the cars they drive.
Let's use the current wildfires as an example. While the fires have been contained, the bad news is far from over. While you hear about celebrities' homes being destroyed, the neighborhoods are also home to a lot of working-class people as well as retirees. Even though we can't speak for every resident, many live or live according to their lifestyle. Many can afford multiple rooms, a pool, and more than three cars in the home. Many can afford to send their children to private schools and a good college, just like many of us. Many of us are homeowners with multiple cars and various rooms, so our children can have their own room. Many of us can afford to go on outings or vacations.
Despite our debts, many still can afford a lifestyle where we can live our lives without being a slave to bills. What if someone told you you didn't need to go on vacations once or twice a year? What if someone said you didn't need two or three cars or your kids didn't need their own rooms or private schools (for those who go)? You don't realize some of you have less than you and are jealous of what little you have, even though they could be at your level with a little hard work. So before we judge someone because they're just in the beginning stages of life or ten times our tax bracket, we don't know what it took to get to that situation.
Sometimes, wearing another person's shoes hurts your feet, but they're painful for a reason. Your empathy allows you to feel the hard work it took from point A to Point B. This humble beginning will only be temporary if there's a desire to do and be better. At the same time, this cannot be discouraged by others. In other words, we need to be masters of our own destiny and learn to be a hand up to people (who truly need it) and not someone's judge and jury for the crime of not getting their life together faster than others.
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