After these 4 years, I’m exhausted. Particularly, after this last semester, I can feel the ache for a break. A cleansing period of time just full of relaxation: no technology, no responsibilities, just calmness, and perhaps a few books; at least for some time. I envision a hammock next to a lake and a mountain in the background and perhaps 2 weeks devoid of commitments; it sounds great.
Perhaps I’m guilty of having undertook too many responsibilities. Perhaps I should’ve found a better “work-life balance” along the way so as to not get so tired. However, I can’t seem to be able to separate success and sacrifice. For me, it makes sense that, to move forward at a high speed, you won’t have much time to rest along the way. I imagine a horseman attempting to deliver a message. The faster the horseman gets to its destination, the more successful his mission will be. However, if he goes too fast, he might wear down and kill the horse. But if he goes too slow, with nice rests in-between, he will arrive too late. Where’s the balance?
I guess, perhaps, different people see this differently. Some are willing to work themselves to the grave (e.g. something like karoshi). Do they see success like that? Sacrifice and success intertwined? Others, seem to take a more relaxed approach to things, sacrifice and success being a dichotomy. What’s the purpose of an unhappy life, happiness being as little sacrifice as possible? The problem-solver in you might say, “well, there has to be an in-between; the gray area.” Is there, though? What’s your existence like, then? You make sacrifices but not too many. When’s enough? You rest, but not too much. What rest is necessary? You go for success, but not too much of it. How do you define success? Is your success, then, defined by getting just enough success so that you don’t have to sacrifice more? But those two types of success must be different: a conundrum.
As of now, I just can’t seem to picture how this middle ground looks like. It seems like you can only work your hardest, while trying to not go too far (death by exhaustion), or work your littlest, trying to work just enough so that you can survive. Which end is better. Well, again it seems like your definition of success is what determines this too.
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