Keep on Trying... for What Else CAN You Do?

Hard to believe, but we have actually made it to the half-way point of the year 2025.

As I think about that, I must admit that the first thing flashing through my mind was "I'm SO not impressed!" followed by a more cautious "I sure hope the second half goes a bit better..."

I often have conversations with myself, and with some non-specific thing I simply refer to as "The Universe." It's not so much an actual spiritual thing as it is a way to give my screams into the ethers a specific landing place.

Is anyone LISTENING?!?!?!

Recently, I quietly speculated on whether or not the Universe was actively trying to break me; trying to push me into that corner where I'd say "OK, I just give up," and accept my fate as someone who managed to thoroughly fail at life.

The thing that vexes me about that particular thought is that I feel like I have succeeded at staying true to myself; at being authentic. But that particular authenticity has never really seemed to suit this aggressive, high-pressure, work-obsessed, wealth-grabbing paradigm that seems to be spoon fed to us from cradle to grave.

As those of you who have followed this blog for a while might recall, I periodically like to glass over my predicaments in life by labeling myself as "lazy," but the truth is that I am anything but lazy... but I am not necessarily industrious at the "right" things, as viewed through the eyes of the mainsteam.

I have a feeling that a lot of those among us who periodically just feel "sick and tired" of the way the world works are actually expressing sentiment towards not feeling like they fit inside life's range of "normal."

I have tried my best to live my life as a compassionate and empathic individual who gives a damn about the well-being of others... but the truth is that such a choice can also be very painful.

Am I just "too naive," because I often end up feeling used?

Many times along the way I have heard that I needed to "toughen up" and "develop a thicker skin," and "stop worrying about others" but I have rejected those suggestions because I keep thinking "Perhaps so, but then I wouldn't be ME, anymore!"

"Yeah, but that doesn't have any VALUE, does it?"

As I have said many times, I am a Human BE-ing, not a Human DO-ing or a Human HAVE-ing. Life seems to want us all to be human doings, more often than not, typically for the purpose of becoming human havings.

After all, what value do you have, outside of what you do and what you have?

Perhaps I dwell on these things too much, and too often... but it helps to get these thoughts out. Or down on paper, as it were.

Because — to borrow a bit from @jaynie's **recent post — there's a good bit of the time in which I am not OK...

But I am going to keep on trying... for what else can you do?

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great remainder of your week!

How about you? Do you find yourself pushing against the world's pressure for you to conform to standards that are not yours? Do you end up feeling "not OK" as a result of recognizing that your authentic self-expression doesn't really fit it? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

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Created at 2025.07.02 00:43 PDT
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