Recently, I opened Instagram to see the picture above. To see it looming , warning me about my upcoming 10 year High School Reunion. What. The. Heck, where did the time go?
Needless to say, this brought up a couple of thoughts. First, it brought up memories of my time spent in High School. The magical years I spent eating Funions, playing guitar and watching Super Troopers.. yeah, I was pretty cool. My second thought was: why did they spell out “ten-year” instead of using “10?” Then that last line would have fit. But whatever, no one asked me to be on the planning committee.
What many of might have done in the same situation (I hope), my next move was to internet stalk of people who liked the post. Sprinkled within my friends’ profiles, I saw faces of people I hadn’t seen in 10 years. And some people I didn’t know at all (my graduating class had about 900 people in it)
As I was scrolling through the images I realized, that despite graduating in the same year. These people are in all stages of life. Although we are all close in age, there are people doing all kinds of different things. People have families, married, divorced, some working and hating corporate jobs. While others are pursuing advanced degrees or are going to back to school after taking a few years off.
It’s funny how life works out sometimes. A great metaphor for this comes from the elite cool kid world of long distance backpacking. A phrase I often said when I was on my Appalachian Trail Thru-hike (read articles about that here), was the phrase:
“Hike your own hike.”
This phase spoke by some people as a deep stoic philosophy and said with heavy sarcasm by others. It’s used to tell people some advice or tell a story such as:
“There is a waterfall up ahead it’s about 30 min off the trail, but hike your own hike.”
Or…
“You might not want to hike on top of that ridge in that storm but hey, hike your own hike.”
Or
“You won’t want to hike in those wet socks but hey bro dozer you gotta, hike your own hike, man.”
On the Appalachian Trail, like in life, everyone has to walk a different path. Currently, I’m 28. I am married with a baby. Trying to finish my undergraduate degree in Recreation Administration. Which happens to be the 3rd major I’ve had. In the last 3 years, I’ve had a lot of jobs. From working at a CrossFit gym. To being a full-time hiker for 5 months. I worked for a City Parks and Rec department. I attempted to open my own gym, failed, and worked again at that same gym. All while going to school. But this is the path I choose and what is right for me.
Far too often I see people do what they “should,” not what they choose. You “should” do this it’ll look great on your resume. You “should” get married now, or have a kid, or have your career all figured out. But if it’s not what will make you happy or actually help your career is it worth it? It’s a long life. Why spend it being miserable doing something you hate all because someone told you it was the right thing to do.
I have friends who are feeling the pressure to get married and settle down. Maybe even get a mortgage and rule the suburbs from a deck they built themselves. If that’s what you want you should do it.
But if deep down you think it’s a bunch of crap, or aren’t ready, then you shouldn’t do it.
A great Tim Ferriss quote is:
The question you should be asking isn’t, What do I want? or “What are my goals? but What would excite me?” – Tim Ferriss
Making yourself happy should be everyone’s goal. Do you have a weird interest that you have no experience in but won’t go away?
Chase it.
Do you hate your job?
Don’t piss and moan about it. Find out why and then what needs to change and make it happen.
Now don’t get me wrong, Living in happy hippy communes and not work for a living isn’t the answer. Everyone’s gotta make a dollar. Every day isn’t going to look like a Subaru commercial. Where everyone is happy, playing outdoors with their dogs. But if you aren’t working towards making yourself happy and living a better life then is it all worth it?
I don’t know all the answers like I said, I’m still figuring out my own path. But I do know that every day I’m trying to hike my own hike. At times that means I may have to walk alone or forge a new path but that’s the choice I’ve made. So stop comparing yourself to others, and instead learn to enjoy your own journey. Hike your own hike.
Hike your own hike.
LoganChristiansen 