It feels like there are tons of responsibilities out there for the average individual to deal with. Pay your bills. Put food on the table. Take care of your children. Take care of your parents. The laundry list is long and never-ending.
I think it’s important to not overlook the importance of taking ownership for your duties. It’s easy to say that you will be responsible. But when push comes to shove, it’s important to be responsible and own up to your decisions and your potential mistakes.
It might not feel good at first, but I think it’s pivotal towards eventual growth in the long run. For me, I’ve been getting a taste of how life is like for many people. How sometimes people are just simply out there trying to survive the next day. Trying to improve. Trying to nourish themselves. It’s not easy by any stretch of the imagination.
Needing to take care of loved ones puts a little bit of stress and strain on yourself. And there’s a sense of pressure in trying not to make too many mistakes. It feels like there’s a mental burden that is placed on yourself, and you need to just suck it up and deal with it somehow.
It’s not the most pleasant feeling, but in the long run it helps you grow and get better. And it helps you improve yourself exponentially in compounding form. It’s like you are being thrust straight into the fire to see whether you will burn up or adapt and mold.
I’m lucky to be in the relatively safe and secure position that I am in today. But I know that many people are not that lucky. Many people are struggling in this city. They are struggling under the weight of financial burdens. Of increasing inflation. They are struggling trying to take care of too many things under the sun. They may be struggling with their health or their career or their relationships.
And there’s no easy way to resolve these situations. If we had those means, we would be living in a perfect utopia. But of course, life is not ideal, and life is not a utopia by any stretch of the imagination.
One colleague of mine used to say that “if you could just take care of one person in this world each day, then you would’ve done enough.” And I happen to agree with her. Because all our mental and physical bandwidths are limited, no matter how strong or skilled we think we are.
So, if we can take care of the people in our respective tribes. Make them happy. Make them healthy. Do it to the best of our abilities. Then, our jobs would be that much better, and we would’ve played our roles to perfection already.
If everyone in this society takes care of their people, then life will be that much better off. But of course, there are always problems in tribes and group collectives as well. No society or culture has it easy or completely perfect. It’s a continued work in progress.
But we just need to keep it up and continue to strive for better. For me, I’ve been similarly trying to take care of my loved ones and the people near and dear to me to the best of my abilities. I’ve noticed that some things that I used to think to be important have taken a back seat on the priority level. And some things that I used to take for granted have now become top priority to take care of.
So, that is life. A continued evolution. But, as of now, I will try my best to learn and grow and take care of the people that I am able to take care of to the best of my abilities. I will start with my inner circle of family, friends, and loved ones. And then move my way out from there.
Admittedly, I used to move the other way around from outside in. But I think at this stage in my life and career, I need to think of the people that are nearest and dearest to me first. The people that have been with me for pretty much the entirety of my life. See how I can make their lives a little bit better. And then move my way out from that circle.
It’s not an easy task on some days, but it has been manageable so far. And I will continue to try to take care of my tribe. To help them. To support them. To lead them. To take ownership of my decisions and mistakes. And I think indirectly, that will lead to a happier and more fulfilling life for all.