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More To Life Than Bills

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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