The more you do in life - the more you try, the more people you talk to - the more you start to see just how random everything is. I call it "reality sampling." With every new experience, you get another peek behind the curtain of life, and you realize anything can happen at any time.
I learned this from Uber drivers in Austin, who told me stories so wild they could be movies. I learned this while travelling, meeting people, listening about their life. Some were funny, some were inspiring, and some were scary. The more stories you hear, the more you see a pattern: life is totally unpredictable.
But there's a dark side to seeing so much. You realize that if anything can happen, that includes bad things. To you. At any time.
My brain goes into overdrive, planning for every disaster. I take precautionary measures, which is fun in a way, because I like solving problems. But it's exhausting. No matter how much I prepare, the fear of the unknown is always there, clawing at me. There are just too many variables to control.
Then one day, a simple thought hit me: If anything can truly happen, why do I only focus on the bad stuff?
The possibility of something great happening is just as real as the possibility of something bad happening. So why not assume the best case? I'm already prepared for the worst, so that's taken care of.
Being a pessimist might feel smart, but it's draining. Choosing to be an optimist is what gives you the energy to actually live.
And this is where the real mind-shift happens. Even if the worst case does happen, it's probably not as life-shattering as you imagine. Life goes on, no matter what.
Here's the truth: we are mayflies with grandiosity. We're here for a short time, but we think our every move is world-changing. It's not. Billions of people are on this planet, and billions more have lived before us. We only remember a tiny few. The odds that I'll be one of them are incredibly small.
Realizing that you're a tiny part of a huge story is the most freeing feeling in the world. The pressure is off. If I don't matter that much in the grand scheme of things, then I can stop worrying about the weight of my actions. I can simply focus on what makes me happy and what makes the people I care about happy.
When you know that you don't have to be perfect or important, you can start treating life like a playground instead of a test.
You can do things just because you want to, as long as they align with your values. You can stop the overthinking part of your brain, the part that's always full of anxiety, and just act. You might do wonders. And even if you don't, that's okay. You'll get better with every try.
At the end of the day, action is the only cure for uncertainty. Taking bold steps is the best way to move forward.
Nothing is as final as you think. Only death is a full stop.
Until then, you get to keep trying. And trying is everything.
Inspired from this tweet
