I read an article online today about how to lead an exceptional life even when life isn’t exceptional.
It was supposed to be an inspirational piece to encourage us to think about our dreams.  It suggested aiming for such dreams one step at a time, without trying to do it all at once and feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the task.

I completely agreed with the sentiment, and indeed the idea of this made me feel positive about life in general.

The article went on to describe some amazing people and the fantastic things that they have achieved.  Forgive me if this sounds selfish but at this point, after reading about their amazing successes, I actually began to feel really rubbish about myself! There were stories of people who had managed to accomplish astonishing feats, and who had succeeded when all the odds were against them.

Don’t get me wrong; I was overwhelmed by their courage, determination and achievements, but it made my life feel somewhat pathetic in comparison. Not only have I not completed such incredible tasks such as circumnavigating the globe in a sailboat, being the youngest person to have been elected as an MP, or flown in space,  but I have no desire to do such things either.

I do accept that the aim of the article wasn’t to say that we should all go out and aim for such things. It was saying that we shouldn’t be afraid to dream big by focusing on the small things.

Maybe it’s just the mood I’m in today, but at the moment I feel like I don’t want to dream big. Is that so wrong?

Of course there are things in my life and about myself that I’m not entirely happy with and would like to change, but generally I’m quite content. I have my ups and downs like anyone else, but at the end of the day I feel satisfied with where I am in life. Yes I’d like to progress in my career, yes I’d like more money etc. But if such things don’t happen then I don’t think I’d feel a sense of great loss.
Even though I feel at times like I don’t deserve them, I am so lucky to have a wonderful family and loyal friends. My family love, support and care for me, and my friends are always there for me. To me, being surrounded by an incredible network of family and friends is the greatest achievement I could ask for.

I’m not sure who to attribute the following saying to, but I love the passage that states ‘I’ve learned that family and friends are what make us who we are today, and without them we would never be complete’.

It’s a good job that this is a blog post not a formal article, as my initial aim when I started to write – whatever that might have been – seems to have disappeared completely and taken me along a very different thought process!

But as I started typing I was feeling frustrated at my lack of achievements and how pathetic my life must appear to be, but as I conclude I have that warm fuzzy feeling inside and I feel safe in the knowledge that as long as I love and I am loved, then my life is complete.