"Snap, back to reality"
… Oh, there goes gravity! Not really, but that sentence is patented by Eminem in my mind, that’s what you get for growing up around the millennial tide. This time the subject is commissioned by Sir Michael himself, as he’s returned from the sunny and climate-wise utopian republic of the Philippines, and is back on his daily grind. In no doubt coming from a double-digit on the preferred side of the thermometer to a double-digit on the God-forsaken one was a welcome kick in the face, but I’m sure it’s all good. The topic will be “back to reality”, and basically everything regarding said matter. For the most of us I suspect we affiliate the word reality with a rather sad or painfully tedious grind, as we usually fail to count our blessings or even the fact that we’re grinding in good ole’ Norway.
It’s a bleak selling point when the most of us never have known or never will see worse times, but it’s not too hard reminding oneself that we should be thankful. Norwegian MC, Onkl P put it in these lines; “It’s funny how most of the tunes coming from Norway are sad and melancholic, while the happy tunes come from places in the world where they don’t have it too well”. I have to agree, once you reach the social standing of materialistic utopianism, the insight usually tends to take a bipolar turn and focus on pretty much just the flaws.
There are still those who manage to both live and look on the bright side of life, and such individuals are truly a welcome break in the daily pattern of near-suicidal people working towards a dead-end, who also are sorely aware of the fact. I guess the essential differential between the people that tend to be loveable, and the ones forever running in circles, growing ever-aggravated at themselves is the concept of worthwhile grinds. You don’t have to be the biggest baller or make the fattest wads of Benjamins to be content in your everyday hustle, but you should be self-perceptive enough to acknowledge the fact that you can’t enjoy the means to the goal if you really can’t. Your momma didn’t raise no fool, and I’m sure she told you that you have the potential to be whatever you want to be (which is a lie, if you haven’t noticed by now). But even so, you can manage to get up off your ass and start doing something, and making sure your everyday life isn’t as dull as Michael “D-Fens” Douglas’ existence is in “Falling Down” (another cultural gem here, make sure you see it.). You’re pretty much accountable for your own happiness, and why some people refuse to pursue it, I cannot begin to fathom. There’s always the concept that the given individual already has attained serenity in his everyday life, but I’m convinced that the moment you stop chasing, you lose in life.
And coming up short in life is not something you ought to aspire for, even though the most satisfying thought often revolves around the concepts of “fuck it all”. Things don’t need to be perfect, as long as they make life worth it. Usually it’s all or nothing for most people, perhaps trending back to the lateral epitome of materialistic nihilism/extropianism, where we as the middle children of history neither can justify our desires nor fight for much else than our wants or desires. When you break a human life down under the microscope, there’s a sad amount of nothingness filling up the most of the story, and as our generations never will have the ability to discover America, be the first to cross the north pole or other random noteworthy historic events, one can start to debate whether there’s much left for us as a species in the big picture. I’m aware that our collective grind is progressing more rapid than ever before, but our discoveries are far too often limited to the Petri dish, and the mysteries are starting to outgrow us, as the question is not what’s on the other side of that hill, but what’s on the other side of that galaxy. And when you’re starting to go galactic in your train of thought, you’re just cognitively dwelling in no man’s land.
Utterly dystopian and bleak prophecies aside, here’s the pacifier. Regardless of infinitely small you are, WE as a union be mighty as hell, the other species on the planet would surely be tempted to say we are far too powerful for our own good. Even though I’m not going to solve the cancer-riddle, or determine whether Mona Lisa was a dude or a slight androgynous-looking woman, someone will do so in my place. And I will reap the benefits through the ripples, in form of knowledge and greater possibilities provided. The “back to reality” is by my opinion a way for us humans to stimulate our minds while we work on more important things, there’s even the lucky few of us who get to pick their brains with the imperative aspects. So fret not when you grasp that you’re never going to accomplish that, or realize that he beat you there, just see the bigger picture, and wish everyone the best. The daily grind is in fact not, like I opened with, a painfully tedious thing if you have the brains to make your own bed, and just do you. The simplest thing in the world is being happy, it’s a state of mind that’s chemically induced by our own systems, that we so happen to be in control of. Positive attitude, bright ideas, optimistic attempts, empiric failures and pragmatic approaches usually solve most things a shitty Monday can throw your way. As with most hateful things, the best solution is love. So if the daily grind gets too tough, take a break if it’s deserved, push forward if you still owe some hours, and if you don’t get satisfaction or just live in constant stagnation, get out fast.
And like my motivational speaker of choice, Wasalu Muhammad Jaco says, the show goes on; the question is just in what manner.
SenseiRydis thought he’d set an example, and grinded this text at 03:30 in the morning.
#CantFakeDedication
