Does that word sound familiar? i bet it does. We all know it and use it in sentences to buttress our points......but how many of us know we are in that race? like it or not, many of us are in that race? the LONGMAN DICTIONARY OF CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH describes rat race as this: "The unpleasant situation experienced by people working in big cities, when they continuously compete for success and have a lot of stress in their lives". So, even If you do not know that word, the dictionary has helped us to make it easy. It is so pathetic, very pathetic how we just run around everyday hustling and many of us are like slaves, like what one writer calls modern slavery. We continually find a reason to stick in there, we live in denial enduring stuffs we know we are better off without them. What are we so afraid of? We fear risks and instead of breaking free, we just limit ourselves.
Obviously, we like the rat race, or am i getting it wrong? people complain about everything, even their jobs but are the willing to walk away from it? no way, how will they survive? yeah, yeah, thats the whole cycle. people continually find a reason to endure, play it safe and wait for the right time for things to happen, they wait till they have saved enough, before you know, they are forty years old and some take their frustrations on their young kids who want to escape the lives their parents have lived.
For many people, career is being all dressed up with id cards and tagging your life on to one big company. The "prestige" of saying i work with this or that company, hang out with colleagues, earn some money and spend.....in the end, you have lived the most active part of your life being a slave to someone at the expense of your dreams in a bid to keep body and soul together. People just want to endure, they keep complaining but lack the courage to walk away and if you miss your way to tell them, you want to quit, they begin to tell you, how bad the economy is, why you should wait and the truth is, they will never share in your frustrations. They tell you, they understand and why you should be patient but they never follow you to work 12-14 hours. They really love you, don't you agree? telling you to endure what they never will, so much for the advice.
Life is basically choice, if you know what you want, you will get on with it. We have to tell ourselves the truth fa i just made one and know how it feels. In fact, they leave you with no friends, people will mock you for being so stupid leaving your lucrative career....but if you can make that choice, take that step, face your fears, you will get through. Ask FELA DUROTOYE and CHIMAMANDA ADICHIE, ask BASKETMOUTH and ask the average guy with a white collar job. Its not in carriage, its not in your paycheck, lets stop screaming careers like we really have one. we just get all dressed up in the morning, join the rest of the population in the race, walk tall with head high but deep down we are empty,coming home tired and wake up he next day into the same life. No time to focus on what is essential in this life but vanities. we run after things that has no eternal reward, we become selfish trying to find fulfillment in material things....just follow the bandwagon but no destination, roaming and roaming! we measure success by competing with others and we use people as a yardstick for what is really cool. we just become exhausted, running after degrees, all kinds of stuffs and we never get to have a life. We miss out on the simple miracles of everyday life, laughter, sunshine, family, friendship because we all working our asses off to fit in,to be classy and have it all. We are never satisfied. The only way out of rat race is to figure what you enjoy and make it happen.
we really should be tired of running this rat race. The average white collar faithful has watched all the seasons of THE APPRENTICE with Donald Trump, they know all the great Authors but thats how good it goes, nothing happens, its still the same rat race.. Are you not tired of reading all the books, be caught in the moment of adrenalin rush the books give you only to go back to the same life, running to the office, frustrated doing the same thing waiting for salary.You just tell yourself, one day, it will all over, you plan waiting for the right time, you never enjoy the cash because for the most part you are saving but then that day never comes,before you know, you are forty years old. we should never settle for less. set out to be the best and never limit yourself. Stop making excuses for things that are not working in your life. Stop wishing, make it happen for yourself. If you know truly, you are not happy, stop living in denial and face it. Its the least you can do for yourself. tell yourself, you deserve better, do away with thoughts that keep you down, people who that limits you to a mediocre, whoever they are. there is only one life and its up to you. As for me, i have made my choice and am sticking with it. I am getting a life for myself. Doing what i love....the cash will come, its the only way to be alive. I am tired of running the rat race!
