Always doing what’s expected from you, doesn’t leave room for “YOU”. A holiday from your chores isn’t a luxury but a necessity..
Imagine, for a moment, you’re a bird in a cage. The door’s open, yet you flutter from side to side, repeating the same patterns day in, day out. You’re fed, you’re safe, but the sky outside? It’s just a dream. This is what it’s like when we trap ourselves within the confines of expectations. The quote, “Always doing what’s expected from you, doesn’t leave room for ‘YOU’. A holiday from your chores isn’t a luxury but a necessity,” whispers a truth we often forget.
Let’s break it down, shall we? Life, in its essence, is a tapestry of choices. Yet, how often do we weave this tapestry with colors picked by others? Think about it. From the moment the alarm buzzes in the morning till we collapse back into bed, are we living or merely existing? Performing tasks robotically, checking boxes off a list that seems to replenish magically overnight. But where are you in this equation?
Here’s an analogy to mull over: consider your life as a garden. Now, gardens thrive on care—watering, weeding, the occasional pruning. But what if all you ever did was tend to the weeds because that’s what was expected? Imagine never planting new seeds, never experiencing the bloom of flowers, or the growth of a tree you planted. Just weeds. Endless weeds. That garden would be pretty dull, wouldn’t it? Similarly, if all you do is what’s expected, never exploring your interests, desires, or passions, you’re essentially tending to weeds. You’re missing out on the vibrant blooms that represent the essence of who you are.
Taking a break, a holiday from these chores, isn’t about shirking responsibilities or living irresponsibly. Far from it. It’s about self-discovery, about allowing yourself the space and time to explore what makes your heart sing. It’s about finding balance. Just as a holiday refreshes and rejuvenates, allowing you to return with renewed vigor, taking a break from routine and expectations rejuvenates the soul. It lets you return to your duties with a fresh perspective, perhaps even with new ideas on how to tackle old problems.
Now, consider this: Steve Jobs, a name synonymous with innovation, attributed much of his creativity to the ability to look beyond the immediate. His calligraphy class, something he took out of sheer interest with no practical application in sight, eventually inspired the typography of the first Macintosh computer. It wasn’t something expected of him; it was a choice made out of curiosity, a deviation from the path laid out for him. It was his ‘holiday’ from the expected, and it played a pivotal role in revolutionizing personal computing.
So, as you navigate through the maze of life, remember the bird with the open cage door. You have wings, the sky is vast, and flying is a choice. It’s crucial to pause, reflect, and ask yourself if you’re living a life of endless chores or if you’re truly experiencing the joy of being “YOU”.
Ending on this thought, when was the last time you did something just for you, not because it was expected but because it made you feel alive? What’s one thing you can do today to create room for “YOU”?
* If you’re seeking extra motivation and inspiration on your journey of personal growth, I recommend taking a look at my SMART growth goals page, This page offers thousands of goal ideas that can assist in the establishment of new aspirations and the attainment of greater heights in one’s life. In fact, it was instrumental in my creation of a list of 100 goals, which I pursued for a decade.
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an impact-driven creator at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 life goals around the globe. Tal's journey and recent book, The Art of Fully Living, inspired him to found Elevate Society.
