Post-Vacation Introspection and Stealing From Others
After the four-day extravaganza of the recent Florida steemit meetup, I’m performing a bit of a mental post-mortem on some things. Mostly a random rambling. Feel free to ignore. (well, this IS steemit, so that's not hard to do :)
You know how sometimes when you come back from a vacation, and even if you had a great time and are happy and all that, you get kind of depressed when you slip back into the well-worn shoes of your life’s routine? It’s kind of disappointing to find that nothing changed or improved while you were gone; everything is the same as how you left it, just waiting for you to pick up the yoke again and start pulling.
That’s how it is for me, anyway.
I think a lot of it is because you experience something different, and somehow it feels that different is better. Suddenly, your regular life isn’t quite good enough, and maybe even a small lust for hedonism sets in. You were enjoying life, having a good time, and now you have to stop and be a respectable adult again. Why can’t life always just be fun and games?
Still, you have to be happy with the things you have, not the things you wish you had. However...stealing is sometimes permissible.
Taking Something Away From It
(aka, stealing something from someone without them knowing it)
Some of the minor depression after a vacation, or a gathering of friends or family, or really anything you've looked forward to or planned on for a while, is due to being exposed to a different lifestyle. You see how others are living their lives and wonder if they’re happier than you. You wonder if perhaps they’re doing better than you, if they’ve made better decisions. Other times, you’re exposed to new ways of thinking or bits of knowledge or perspectives. Some of them you find yourself envying, particularly if they’re successful or handsome or wealthy or free to enjoy life.
Whenever I find myself in that position, whether it be after a family reunion or a night out with the wife when we’re surrounded by others, or back from a long vacation, I try to find something (at least one something) I can take away from what I saw and use that to improve myself or my own life.
I’m a writer, or pretend to be, so I spend a lot of time observing and watching. I see one person is handsome, another person is happy, a third has a great sense of humor, a fourth has made excellent financial decisions, etc. I try to imagine the reasons why they are the way they are.
I also try to find something I can take away from these people to improve myself. Maybe I can learn from a decision they made, or a way they behave, or something they plan to do. Interacting with others is a great way to steal their knowledge and experience and opinions and try them on for yourself. Some fit, most do not, but examining them all grows your mind.
Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.
--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Size Doesn’t Matter
If you're scrolling through and just happened to jump to this header, then I guess this mild ramble ended up just being a commentary on self-improvement.
There’s a fair amount of balance between observing others to look for ways to improve yourself, and observing others and being jealous of what they have or how they act or who they are.
I’m not saying I’m entirely successful with that balance. Still, when I fail, I can just tell myself that size doesn’t matter.
right?
Photos by @negativer
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Hedonist...😋
I always upvote hedonism.
Wait, no. That sounds bad.
I've been depressed all week since I got back....not really all that unusual for me though. But I know what you mean.
However,
"You wonder if perhaps they’re doing better than you, if they’ve made better decisions."
You can rest assured that Isaria is NOT better than you in that respect. :P
Thanks for reading and commenting :)
I will assure you that, if nothing else, you have better hair than I do.
I'm pretty moody in general, so I can't specifically blame vacations (or returning from vacations) as an excuse. I think artistic-type folks (if I can put myself in that category) feed off that emotional whirlpool and maybe that's a cause-and-effect of being creative. I can tell you I wouldn't trade it away to be someone else, no matter how handsome they are.
That's so true about artistic types. I've wished so many times that I didn't have this creative drive within because it does cause me pain, but I can't make it stop so oh well. It's so easy for me to compare myself to others and then just feel horrible about myself. Over the last few years, I've been working on just trying to accept who I am right now and work toward the goals that will bring happiness in my life. My negative thought patterns still creep in.... some days are better than others....but now I'm just rambling. lol
I read this title and thought 'uh-oh, he's talking about me stealing all his photos and ideas from his posts". I'm glad it was broader than that.
I see what you're saying here and I think being around success (in whatever area) helps highlight and clarify things you want. So instead of being jealous (which admittedly is hard not be), it gives you something to focus on and work towards. That's how I try to look at it anyway. Sometimes it's easier said than done.
You are welcome to borrow anything you want from anything I have. Shared experiences owe no credit :)
I admit my post title was somewhat click-baity. I do like to observe others, and as a writery-type person, I draw from that pool of observational experience when I'm writing a story or need a character or realistic interaction. Sometimes there is jealousy or bitterness or self-righteous anger, but sometimes there is a learning experience or growth to be had.
More of an introspective journey for me here; I like to take something away from every semi-significant event in my life, even if my interpretation of the event is simplistic. I think everything we experience changes us, but you have to be aware of it to get the full impact.
Why thank you. I always credit other people's work anyway so hopefully they don't get mad. Good idea about the story characters though. I hadn't thought of that.
I try to find something (at least one something) I can take away from what I saw and use that to improve myself or my own life.This is a great philosophy and practice. Still, comparing oneself against others is a dangerous thing to do. They are on a different path, no matter how similar and their decisions can inform yours but you definitely shouldn't feel jealous. Life can be a rollercoaster.Quite right! It's a fine line between observation for the sake of observation or learning or self-improvement or some other entertainment purpose, and observation for comparison purposes. I don't think I'm jealous of anyone; I happen to mostly like what I have and who I am, and am going to HODL.
As you should!
postinganmu very interesting in read.
Well said. I feel similarly when I come back from a trip. The Change-Up of schedule I think is exciting to us and so produces some endorphin like response that is similar to happiness. Also, vacations are like fake life. No responsibility, no chores, no work, all your normal problem are on standby. Recently when we went on a mini vacation to visit friends I had to remind Ariana that they paused their life for us. All the kids did all day was play outside on the trampoline, watch movies, bonfire, etc. Then you come back to the same ol same ol. I think your takeaway strategy is a good one. Though, I imagine you might find a thought within yourself about your life. Just pausing on a vacation gives you time to form new ideas and perspectives...no need to steal ;)
I completely understand what you're talking about, except (often) this is just me with happy days. Like, if I have a good day, I'm overcome with depression the next.
But yeah, every time I perform a show, I usually sink really hard afterward. It's stupid.