Sometimes we have to find success in the little things

When I was little, I was told that in order to be successful I needed to work extremely hard. 

We were taught about all these extraordinary people who worked day in and day out to get the success that they wanted. So, I tried to emulate them as much as possible. 

No matter what I was doing, I put every ounce of my being into it. I wanted to be successful, I wanted to live a life that my parents could be proud of. After all, they worked extremely hard to give me everything that I have. It’s only fair that I do the same. 

So, when I was told to try harder, I did. I did everything in my power to do better. 

But even now when I only have two semesters left of my college education and am about to enter the real world, I’m apparently still not trying hard enough in the eyes of society. 

I’ve been told I need to write more, that I need to be putting more time into my education if I want to accomplish my dreams. No matter how hard it gets I just need to push through to the other side.

Well, I’m not sure I can do that anymore. I think I have finally hit my limit. 

Every day my will to get things done decreases. My desire to work and learn since I started this semester has reached an all-time low. 

Even now, as I sit on my couch writing this, I’m struggling to form coherent thoughts. My body is simply saying ‘no more’ and I’m too stubborn to listen because a tiny voice in my head is telling me that I’ll get a break once I make it. 

Once I’ve graduated, gotten a good job and have my feet planted firmly on the ground I can rest and enjoy life the way everyone says I should. 

But now I’m starting to wonder if that will ever be the case. 

Maybe, I’ll always be told to work harder.

I think the reason behind this is the fact that society constantly demands the most out of us.

No matter how much money you have, how many promotions you get or how many hours you spend studying, there will always be a demand for more and it will always be in the name of success.

So, I’m saying screw it. Screw the system that tells me that I’m not successful already. I’ve made it this far, haven’t I? That’s already one step further than I was at yesterday. I shouldn’t be bound by what society claims is success for me, I should only be listening to myself. 

Getting out of bed, doing the dishes, getting an assignment done are all tasks that should be celebrated. Sure, you’re not winning a Grammy or making millions of dollars by doing them, but that shouldn’t degrade their importance. Without doing the small stuff, the people who are out there finding their definition of success would never be where they are.

It’s time we stop defining our success from the eyes of others. If all you did was go to class today, you should see that as a success. Because it is.