“Just go, do whatever you want,” said the turtle.
Lakukan apa yang kau mau sekarang-Hindia.
One of the most popular phrases in adult life, I heard it a lot in my teenage years, but yeah, as a good word to say. However, it hit deeper when work-life entered. Since then, I never knew I wanted something too much, yes, the freedom to do whatever things I like without restriction.
Not until I noticed the burden of adult life. It’s not only about chasing dreams, but also about how to get more fulfilled in day-to-day life. Yes, how to get more happiness in the holistic approach.
Recently, my friend and I discussed how to get more catalysts in career life. Our discussion was lively, bright, and full of random ideas. Not until we realised our economic restraint, yes, we’re talking about the economy as an individual. How could we do everything we wanted so badly if our day-to-day life is still at the stage of surviving? Surviving stage means being in the poverty stage. Surviving stage focus is to meet the basic necessities, like food, shelter, and clothing. Yap, this is the starting point of nearly every individual in society. Then, there’s the growth stage, where that individual's focus will shift to investment or improving life standards, and then the affluence stage. The focus is more on how to reach higher income, to have more leisure time, and etc. So, now, you can define, in what stage of economic satisfaction are you now?
This may sound skeptic and hopeless, but at that stage, are you really sure you can do whatever you want? Ah, in today’s era, the most buzzy ideas are leaving your job and getting your dream job. Or just check out, then pay it later. Are those ideas related to doing whatever we want? Oh no, that’s an impulsive idea, we shouldn’t do it. People are getting on their nerves when things don’t go according to their own plan, but that’s the beautiful part of being slow or patient with yourself.
I told my friend that we can still do what we truly want, even if we’re in survival mode.
The truth is, it’s not always about what we want—sometimes, we don’t even know what we need until we’ve lived through certain experiences. Often, we need to pause and redefine what we really want in life. It’s not about constantly jumping from one stone to the next, hoping the next leap brings us closer to happiness. Instead, ask yourself: What kind of stone are you standing on right now? What would happen if you faced the challenge where you are, and tried to grow right there, even if it’s hard?
Comfort, though tempting, can quietly become a dangerous trap.
Are there better ways to rethink this so-called “sceptic” idea?
Avicii once sang in The Nights:
“One day you'll leave this world behind
So live a life you will remember.”
It’s a powerful message. But if we interpret “living a life to remember” as simply chasing comfort, we might end up on the wrong train altogether.
Thank you for reading.
