If we sit and think for a moment, how much of our life is spent doing what we have to, not what we want to? Having had the privilege to travel the world for the past 30 years, I have seen first hand that the majority of the world’s population do not have to grapple with that question. Every day is about survival and providing the basics of life; safety, security, food and education.
In the west we not only now have the ‘leisure industry’ but also the ‘wellness industry”. You can even go to university and get degrees in this area. Life seems to me to have a focus on self and we are very ego-centric. We place a great emphasis on the individual and not on the family or community. Just look at our attitude towards a house. If a young girl falls pregnant, hey guess what, does she stay at home with mum & dad, nope, we say she has rights for the local authorities to provide her with a house. Where is the family responsibility?
How much of my day is taken up with activities I have to do? Many of these activities are contributing to the benefits of others, many are simply because of the role I play, either as husband, dad, colleague, manager, leader, friend……
We watch society drive to a greater output with less input. We want results at the least possible investment. Discussion is continuing with regards to the official retirement age. I believe it has shifted upwards here in the UK by a couple of years. The national coffers cannot payout the pensions any longer at a sustainable rate.
And so its good for me to embrace this truth that today, most of it will not be spent doing what I want to but rather what I have to!