Rat Race.
We spin and spin and spin and keep spinning.
We go again the next day.
We are tired. We get back on.
We are bored. We get back on.
We are frustrated. We get back on.
We need to reach the end. There has to be an end.
What would you do with your time if you knew you only had a month left? How would you spend your time? I am aware stipulations such as this mean no regard for finances or a balance of a future self, but think about it. This grind would end immediately. We would see grandparents and drink with friends. We would paint or take photographs. We would listen to the ocean and see all that we wanted to see. We might pursue that passion that envelops our mind when it wanders.
Lately, the only lens through which I can see life is a perpetual rat race. We are pawns. We are fools. We are addicted to the game. We love the competition. We do not know how to get off the wheel.
Two months ago I moved to New York City. 9 million dreamers. Hustlers. Go-getters. It wasn’t until this time that it became so apparent: what on earth are we chasing? And even better, why? As my good friend Luke would say, “this isn’t earth shattering.” These thoughts aren’t new or unique in any way. People have been thinking this for years, but why do I feel like I am the only one not okay with it?
The alarming number of people commuting in the morning grind of a 9-5 is terrifying in multiple ways. I ask myself, “am I the only one who thinks this is ridiculous?” The traffic jams, the bad weather, the long hours on the train; all of these add up to a continuous hysteria that I am finding unavoidable and dangerously necessary in some twisted way.
Some, however, have found the light. They found the ticket to get off. For the lucky ones, it is passion and creativity and a hunger to accomplish. It’s inspiring and admirable and the ultimate daily energizer. For the rest, which here I will truthfully label as the majority, the chase isn’t about the beauty. The chase is for money. The chase is for status. The chase is for the climb on the ladder. If we were gone in a month, would the grind stop? Would we stop trying to be cool on instagram or fill our retirement funds or be more attractive than the person next to us?
What if, for some of us, we don’t want to climb? What if status is an illusion? What if money is not enough? I am one of those people. If you feel like you are too, you are not alone. I probably talk about this ad nauseam. My parents say I was born in the body of a child with a fully developed adult brain. I laugh at the thought of my very own Benjamin Button world but the same viewpoint has withheld throughout my young life. Most mornings I walk a couple minutes to the F/M uptown train where I am packed so tight into the subway car that I can read clothing tags, get groped, and even determine what somewhat ate for breakfast. It’s “magic.” It’s a wonderful opportunity. Another day in the big apple.
*Disclaimer: I adore New York City and there is absolutely not one place comparable on earth. However, the truth of the rat race must be discussed with total transparency. This has less to do with the hassles of NYC and more about the energy and motivators driving those hassles.
The notion of traveling to a destination to do something you don’t really love for approximately 40-60 hours a week; Again, I am no expert and am aware these aren’t original questions - but why? Answers vary:
Money/Paycheck
Paying dues before a promotion
Perks and benefits
Taking care of someone else (physically or financially)
Waiting around for something amazing to happen
Whether you are 22 and it’s your first job or you are 58 and you’ve held one/multiple roles for 30+ years, are you doing something that makes waking up worth it? Are you living out the truth of your natural desires? Are you listening to the kid inside? That voice knows you. It knows what you want to do. It knows this cycle is eating you up. (If it isn't and the chase is fulfilling to you, more power to you).
I’ve had people tell me that “this is just part of life” and “everyone has to do this to survive.” Part of me gets that. I really do get it because I do it too. But I am not naive. I am not too young or too foolish to believe this. The truest and most innate part of me says that I won’t accept that and I’m kind of already (at 26) done with accepting that. I cannot come to terms with talented, passionate, incredible people devoting their life to a cycle of settling for less.
I ask you all, and I ask myself every day, why are you in the rat race?
If your answer lies in the bullet points above, my hope is one day soon you will get off the ride. I hope you see that life is so much shorter than we think. I hope you don't accept the current reality as the only one possible. I hope you find your why. I hope you find your reason. I hope to find mine too.
