Why is it never enough?

I mean my performance: However well I do, it never seems to be enough!

I just realised that the last week is gone, and I think I did well… but I have no clue what I’ve actually done. It was busy, stuff needed been organised. I time manage and I work hard and I call in help when needed… and still. Not enough!

It seems that everybody is affected by this phenomenon, since all my friends are buzzing around like bees. So the question arises:

Is there too much to do altogether, and have we built our world the wrong way?

It’s not just women, is it? And it’s not just adults, it’s the kids already. These days are even more stressful than half a century ago when kids like me had time to roam the countryside and dream up fantasy worlds. But event back then the pressure was on: If one did well at school – ‘Well done, but THAT was just primary. Wait until next year; you will have to take it up a notch.’

Duh?

Can’t it even be good enough for a brief moment? These days it has to be at least a gold medal at the Olympics for it to count as ‘good enough’. For the rest of us: We got us dishwashers and washing machines to safe up time – and we have less of it than ever. At work, one does one’s best – but it would be lovely if one would walk that extra mile. And whenever we think that we just caught up - something unexpected happens.

Do I actually sound very grumpy?

Well, I do – I guess! I’m usually the first one claiming to know the truth about self improvement. And yes, I still believe that it is a good thing to push some boundaries, to get out of an old routine and to see if things can be done in a more beneficial way. But one sometimes has to pull a break as well.

Some people claim that we own too much, that letting go of possessions will free us up. Well, that’s not for me, really. Lack of possession might give me freedom in some way, but it will take away my peace of mind on thinking about my not too far in the future ‘old age’.

Others claim that living in the present and not clinging to the past is a solution. Yes, if I’d throw out my old baggage, get rid of the memorabilia and free myself from all the anxieties rooting in my earlier years, I might be a rather free spirit and all the emotional holdbacks wouldn’t restrict my actions and thoughts anymore. But again, my past is what I am! Without my past, the good and the bad things, I wouldn’t have the experience to cope with the future. Again my peace of mind would be taken away on thinking about what kind of person I want to become, and how I want to be remembered as, when I’m hooking into my grave.

I believe that taking a break is about finding time to make the smart choices. What are the possessions I really need? What is it that makes me happy? Which of the old baggage is restricting rather than encouraging? Which loose ends should I cut off and which ones should I tie to my life?

If this world is not the world I want – then I will have to do my bit to change it. That’s the biggest task of all, but the one worthwhile going for!