Escaping The Collective ‘We’

Falling Back Into Old Patterns

I’ve been distracted—chasing who I’m not instead of who I want to be. It’s so easy to fall back into old patterns, and no matter how disciplined I tell myself I need to be, I’m not immune to it.

The last few weeks have been a mess. I’ve been unhappy with where I’m at, and when I feel like that, I get busy applying to the same practical opportunities that thousands of other average yet intelligent people are chasing. It’s a quick fix—or at least it feels like one—but it never works. You can’t stand out in that crowd. You’re just another number, a cog in the wheel, part of some collective identity, because you couldn’t discipline yourself enough to find your own.

I know that sounds harsh—maybe even mean—but it’s exactly how I feel. Sure, you get a paycheck and a “comfortable” life, but what kind of life is it if you can’t even be yourself?

The Comfort Trap

I don’t want to be average. I’ve dreaded being average my whole life. Never fitting in with the exceptionally brilliant crowd, but knowing deep down that I’m not cut out for the cookie-cutter life either—the job, the family, the house in the suburbs.

I’ve always wanted to go against the grain, to embrace my entrepreneurial side. And it’s more than just a corporate identity with my name stamped on it. I want the creative, messy, authentic, and beautifully chaotic life that leads to something new—something the world hasn’t seen before.

Maybe it’s a book. Maybe it’s a way of thinking. Whatever it is, I want to give something to the world that matters—something that changes how people see the future, or even the present. I want to be a changemaker, someone who works on something bigger than myself. Not dragged into the boring corporate grind full of drama and meaningless arguments about things that won’t matter in five years.

Because the truth is, that world doesn’t want people like me. It’s too busy playing the same tired game—one where everyone fights for power and influence, and no one has enough room to breathe, let alone create.

When Passion Meets a Dead End

I’ve put my heart and soul into work before. I’ve given it everything—my passion, curiosity, ideas—and for what? It doesn’t recognize that kind of effort. It’s comfortable being mediocre, staying in its lane, and keeping things exactly as they are.

I even went as far as using my master’s thesis to try to reshape the organization I was working for at the time. I poured hours into research and strategy, developing ideas to help the company grow and thrive. It wasn’t just about getting a degree—it was about creating something meaningful. But no one cared.

And it wasn’t just there. Over and over, I’ve shown up to interviews with detailed plans for change, innovative ideas for the future, and genuine excitement about what could be. But they didn’t want it. They wanted someone to stay in their lane, to keep the status quo intact.

It made me feel like I didn’t belong. Like I wasn’t good enough.

Crawling Out of the Pit

That rejection did a number on me. It made me question everything—my worth, my ideas, my future. It made me believe that passion, curiosity, and hard work meant nothing.

But maybe it wasn’t about me. Maybe it was about the world I was trying to fit into. A world that’s cold, political, and stuck in its ways.

Even now, I find myself crawling back to it. Thinking, This time will be different. But it never is. It’s the same pasture, just a different farm. The same drama, the same chaos, the same soul-sucking grind.

Choosing My Own Path

I’m done letting that world pull me back. I can’t keep giving it the best parts of myself only to have them crushed or ignored.

I need to make time for me. For the path I’ve always known I should be on—the one where I can write, read, and explore who I really am. Where I can show the world something real and maybe even spark a little change.

It won’t be easy. It’ll take discipline and boundaries. It’ll mean saying no to all the practical, logical distractions that try to drag me back into the mold.

Maybe it’s a midlife crisis. Maybe I just took the wrong path from the start and I’m finally waking up to it. Whatever this is, I know one thing: I’m on a new road now.

And for once, I’m staying on it. No more detours. This time, I’m doing it for me.

Embracing Life's Imperfections

The Complexity of Being Human

Life is about the human experience—complex, messy, and full of emotions that we struggle to understand and accept. At the same time, we have these incredible brains that help us learn, grow, and evolve. Out of all creatures on Earth, we alone have the ability to feel so deeply while thinking critically—our greatest strength and, sometimes, our greatest weakness.

We feel everything so intensely that sadness can spiral into depression, and joy can seem all too fleeting. Grief, anger, fear, guilt, and regret can hold us back, but they also give us a way to dive deeper into the fullness of this experience. It’s no wonder so many of us seek an escape, numbing ourselves to avoid feeling so much. But in doing so, we miss the chance to really understand why we’re feeling this way in the first place.

It hurts. It’s painful to face. But we have to learn how to deal with these feelings without letting them numb us. Because once we do, we open the door to a world of hope. On the other side of pain, we find excitement, enthusiasm, love, and joy—and we’re able to appreciate those feelings even more because we know what it’s like to experience everything else.

Life is What We Make of It

That’s what life is really about—navigating the experience, using our minds to reflect, and pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zones. There’s not much more to the human experience than that—it’s what we make of it.

Some will say you need to find your purpose or passion. Others will claim life is about travel or self-discovery. But these ideas often come with a hidden agenda that’s not really about you. Sure, having a purpose can give some people direction, but what if you never find it? Centuries ago, no one talked about finding their ‘purpose’—this idea is a modern construct designed to lead people down a certain path.

What if I just want to explore different interests without labeling them as ‘passions’ or ‘purposes’? What if I just want to live my life, learning something new about myself every day? Everyone’s searching for some elusive meaning, but maybe the meaning is simply in living—in exploring this amazing world as we wish, and being grateful we get to do it with the people we care about.

Freedom from Expectations

Can life just be about that? The constant search for meaning or purpose can drive some to despair—depression, even worse. The truth is, purpose doesn’t exist universally for everyone, and that’s okay. Each person’s human experience is different, shaped by emotions, thought processes, and those messy gray areas.

Instead of getting lost in our emotions or what society tells us we should feel, let’s embrace what life offers right here and now. Everything we need is in front of us. Let’s make the most of each day because being alive is an incredible gift. Don’t get caught up in society’s expectations—just live your life the way you want.