By Jayde Ware
When I was 10, I couldn't wait to grow up, go to college, and
get a job. I craved the feeling of freedom I thought being out on my own would
bring. The thought of being able to write checks or swipe my credit card was
mesmerizing. I thought that’s what life was all about… getting a job so you
could pay for the things you want. It turns out working and paying bills looked
a lot more glamorous than it really is.
On the surface, I have everything my 10-year-old heart
desired. the college degree, my own place, my own car, and all the
subscriptions I’ve ever wanted. I have the fancy title, a nice office, I even
have my own business cards, and a salary that compliments all those things. But
most days, I catch myself whispering "there has to be something more.
There has to be more to life than just paying bills." This isn’t
fulfilling, some days it feels quite empty. But, money makes the world go
around. We have bills to pay to survive. We have rent, car notes, utilities,
cell phones, insurance, wifi, and Netflix accounts. We have student loans. And
a lot of them at that. We need a source of income. It’s easy to be intimidated
by the bills and our debt. It’s easy to drown in the constant budgeting,
stressing of making sure you have enough to meet ends meet. that’s the world we
live in. We have to survive after all.
So, we work. We hustle. We grind. We get resourceful. We work
odd jobs. We take corporate jobs we may or may not be passionate about to cover
our bills. We sell our old things for extra cash. We do whatever it takes to
get by because we must.
But, what happens in those Sunday-night-gotta-go-to-work
again-tomorrow moments? Those moments where you’re dead tired and can name a
million other things you’d rather do besides go to work. Those moments when
you’re scrolling through social media on your lunch break to see your friends
all living it up without you again...because you had to work or you were too
tired from work to go out. The moments when you get home after a long day, kick
your shoes off, and realize you’ve done nothing for your own enjoyment. And
those moments when you’re asking yourself “what good is having enough money to
cover your rent and utilities when you’re never home to enjoy it?” What about
those moments?
Those moments that make you want to scream because you know
your landlord doesn’t care that missed your best friend’s birthday party, he
only cares if his check is in his hands on the first. And the bank doesn’t care
that you have a passion for writing because it isn’t paying the bills yet and
those student loan payments are due on the 15th. Those moments where you begin
questioning there’s more to life than bills.
There is more to life than the numbers we crunch and stress
about in our bank accounts. So much more. We are not our bank accounts. We are
not our bills. We are not our debt or our student loans. We are multifaceted
humans who need more. We need laughter. Knee slapping, tears running down our
cheeks, belly aching laughter. We need love. Love altering, life enhancing,
mountain moving love. We need time to be present with the people we love. We
need time to let laughter in. We get so caught up in work in paying bills that
we forget that life has so much more to offer us than dollar signs and account
balances.
We have memories to create, legacies to build, and love to make last.
We have hobbies and interests that set our souls on fire. We have new views to
see, new foods to try, and new friends to make. Those are the things that
matter. Singing your favourite song with your best friend at 2 AM is what
matters. Taking time to enjoy your home and the people you share it with matters.
Creating memories, you’ll tell your grandchildren about someday matters. And
there isn’t a dollar sign you can put on that.
All that sounds nice in theory, but I know what you’re
thinking “laughing with my best friend won’t pay my bills.” That’s true, it
won’t. But, it keeps your soul young. It keeps your spirit alive. It prevents
you from waking up in 30 years and realizing that you missed out on life
because you were “too busy” working. It prevents you from forgetting how it
feels to dream because you were too busy building someone else’s dreams instead
of slaying your own. It saves you from feeling like a stranger in your own life
because you no longer recognize yourself outside the walls of your job.
I’m not telling anyone to quit their jobs to spend their days
laughing at life and dancing under the stars. Making ends meet is important. I
am, however, simply reminding you to take time away from focusing on the dollar
signs and just live. You are not your debts. You are not your loans or any
number associated with your bank account. Bills are an aspect of life, not the
entire picture. Take time to rediscover your passions. Learn a new skill, read
a new book, try something for the first time. Live life before it passes you
by. There’s more to life. So much more. We just have to want more and believe
that we deserve more.
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