One life on this Earth. Just the one. Imagine just sitting idly by, watching the minutes pass to hours, then days, then weeks, and then years, never knowing what you are fully capable of. Sure, it might be a risk to put ourselves out there, but isn’t our happiness a risk worth taking? Hard work doesn’t seem so hard when it is something we truly enjoy. In fact, the harder we work to endure the tribulations of a trying task, the more satisfying and rewarding the outcome. Life is so precious, but can also be incredibly short, and we owe it to ourselves to “suck the marrow” out of it. I refuse to be lying down on my deathbed one day while the lingering question of ‘what if’ envelops my final thoughts. I’m a strong believer in thinking that the reason there are so many unhappy people existing in the world today is because everyone is trying to conform to society’s standards of what is acceptable. Go to college, earn a degree, get a 9-5, start a family, and repeat the same routine day in and day out. Why do we do this to ourselves? Is financial security such an esteemed goal that we are willing to sacrifice our own mental health in order to achieve it? No longer will I succumb to the societal pressures thrust upon me. I am relinquishing myself from that stigma in the pursuit of a longevity in happiness.
This past weekend, I saw the movie ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ pertaining to the band Queen and the life of its frontman, Freddie Mercury. I am a diehard Queen fan so I am probably a little bit biased, but I absolutely loved the film. The camaraderie amongst the members of the band, the flamboyancy of Mercury to be unapologetically himself despite his upbringing and the taboo inflections from the mainstream, and the band’s description that they were a family because they were just a bunch of misfits who didn’t belong anywhere but to the crowds watching them who felt like outcasts themselves. Perhaps I am naive in thinking this, or that I’m merely projecting my own insecurities, but I often feel like every single one of us can identify as a misfit at times. Especially if we haven’t yet figured out our place in this world. Some of us have a lifetime to figure this out, while some of us only have a small number of years, but when we figure out our purpose for being here, there is nothing as sanctimoniously sweet as the recognition of our worth.
I can’t reiterate enough how limited life can be, so why do many of us insist on further limiting ourselves? We commit ourselves far too long to dead end jobs that rob us of our happiness all in the name of financial security. Each day our soul becomes poisoned with the bitter darkness an unfulfilling menial occupation has on our sanity, and it is only a matter of time before we become so consumed in the monotonous misery that our mental health falls deeper into an abyss that we can no longer claw our way out of. We stay far too long in detrimental and unhappy relationships for what reason? Just because we have invested so much time into making a mistake, doesn’t mean we need to continue making it. Sometimes holding onto something does a lot more damage than letting go, and I think people stay because it’s hard to admit we failed at something. Except we didn’t fail; we had a learning experience that helped cultivate the person we are today, and the quicker we realize this and vacate the situation, the better off all parties will be.
All my experiences in life helped to shape the person I am, and I’m pretty happy with how I turned out, albeit a few egregious personality flaws that those closest to me would be all the more happy to point out. My only regret is not getting involved in MMA & BJJ sooner. It had been a dream of mine since my early teens, but I never proactively pursued it and I don’t really have a solid reason of why that is. Perhaps it is because society poses its beliefs that you go to school, achieve high marks, go to university, earn a prestigious degree, and then work a 9-5 and I felt obligated to align myself to these molds. Or maybe it was the preemptive notion that as a woman, fighting isn’t all too feminine. Or perhaps I harbored a subliminal fear that I would fail. Whatever my reasons were, they were unsubstantiated and I don’t believe that I am ever too late to pursue a dream and live my passion. I owe it to myself to do what it takes to be happy, and I’d sacrifice the monetary safety of a thousand office jobs that bring me nothing but an empty melancholic indifference to live off of ramen and glee.
I want to jam out to Queen and live as freely as Freddie Mercury. I want to take risks. I want to be happy. And I want to share that with the world. I don’t want to see everyone around me sinking into a black hole of apathy as the years tick on by. Think of all the good we can accomplish in the world if we just take a flying leap of faith. And if I fail, then I fail with dignity because I know I gave it my all. I won’t ever live with the guilt of growing old and watching my body and mind wither away without ever pushing them to their full potential. It will be hard, but it will be worth it. I hurt, I cry, I bleed, but I persevere. I fuel my body with the food to help me thrive and I feed my mind by surrounding myself with a supportive team. I no longer feel obligated to keep toxic people or situations in my life just because of the past or the benefits they accrue. I’m worth more than a paycheck and more than someone’s second choice. Don’t kill yourself for a job that would post an ad for your replacement before your obituary hit the presses and don’t put up with any kind of abuse in a relationship because of the past or situation you two share. You need to live your life for you, and the decisions you make are crucial to bestowing satisfaction to your soul.
Cheers to new beginnings. I raise my glass to the risk takers, the misfits, the outcasts, the rebels, the independent thinkers, the quiet voices, the boisterous inciters, the intellects, the athletes, the parents who sacrifice, the rule breakers, the kind souls, and the resilient ones who refuse to relinquish their spirit in this cold and demanding world. Be serious in your pursuits, but don’t take life too seriously. Remember, no one makes it out alive so we might as well have fun while our feet are still upright on this Earth. I close this passage with lines sung by Freddie in a song by Queen that I just happened to walk out to in my very first foray in the cage. Because while I was serious about fighting, I was there to have a good time as I felt so fortunate to be on this path. So don’t stop me now. If you want to have a good time, just give me a call. Don’t stop me now (Because I’m having a good time.) Don’t stop me now (Yes I’m having a good time.) I don’t want to stop at allllllllll.
