What I realized from my morning excretion.
As I readily approach the bathroom, my pants slip at maximum momentum, and my posterior hovers over the seat to excrete. What follows, are long grueling growls that can be heard from miles away, lingering forcefully along with the summer breeze. I calmly stand up and observe at my-own-doing, I thought — I have accomplished something.
We all long to be achievers, but as we move on in life, more and more expectations are piled on to us, to fulfill this legacy that humans created. Though all of us struggle to reach this level of excellence, have we ever thought about what we truly desire to achieve? Do we actually want 3 kids and a wife named Sharol (or a husband named Mike)?
Perfect GPA scores, a flawless college resume, having many friends, are the things that I thought would satisfy me. Girlboss, 8 hours per day 5 days per week, promotions, are the things that working folks thought would satisfy them. Even though more and more of us are achieving these standards, we have yet to feel satisfied with our own lives. This is because our accomplishments are narrowly defined by society, measuring us based on capital and the ability to follow tropes. I personally think that…
Accomplishment is in the eye of the beholder.
Yes, even if you decide to sit in all day and watch Yaoi on a wide-screen TV, to a certain extent — you are accomplishing something. Perhaps you are trying to learn more about Asian cultures, or subliminally rethinking your perspective on same-sex relationships. Or maybe you are just trying to take some slack off of your tiring day. How we measure success all comes down to how we perceive it.
Now, let’s try this simple exercise by asking yourself:
