Leaving it all behind.

For the greater part of my life, the belief that true happiness could be found only amongst vast riches, material wealth and notoriety consumed almost all of my waking moments.

Everyone I had ever looked up to or seen to be of importance was in possession of these things, so I assumed it only right that I dedicate my life to attaining the same.

As a result of such a mindset, my decisions and undertakings in life were solely based on the compensation or recognition I stood to receive, rather than whether or not there was any personal enjoyment to be found within them.

Countless occupations that brought me nothing but misery were regularly justified by the prospect of a promotion, being able to afford a new television, car or whatever else might momentarily spike my brain's production of serotonin. But once the joy that those things had brought me wore off (something that often occurred quickly), I would immediately search for something of supposedly greater value for which I could begin to trade my time and happiness for.

While disappointing, I find it completely understandable that so many spend their lives in pursuit of such things. Every day we are bombarded with cleverly fabricated advertisements of material items, almost all of which are things we want rather than need. But smiling faces and catchy jingles are often enough for many to be convinced otherwise.

Subconsciously they are tricked into believing that the possession of something new and shiny will improve their quality of life indefinitely, a fault of the human condition which we are rarely taught to perceive. In fact, many of us are brought up and educated in a world that at the very least, insinuates the supreme importance of pursuits such as this.

For example, many of us are the products of an education system that endeavours to make one aware of which professions will ensure the greatest salary, but neglect to advise that many of these occupations carry the highest suicide rates in the workforce.

We are often taught to ask questions about any given subject, but never to question the subject itself. Rarely is one taught to take joy in the little things and marvel at the near impossibility of their existence, instead they are often expected to attain knowledge of little real-world relevance as a means to achieve success as defined by someone else.

In our daily lives, we are relentlessly inundated with content pertaining to celebrity, fame and image, making the comparison of one’s life to that of a famous stranger unfortunately all the more common for many people today, rather than learning to appreciate who they are and the things which they already possess, physical and otherwise.

For the longest time I was a victim of the same ideals, tirelessly attempting to mould and “improve” my life to match that of those looked up to by the masses and fill my life with the material items which were said to be of significance. All while completely oblivious to the idea that the true definition of my own success and happiness was something that could only ever be understood by me and me alone.

It took years upon years of misery and despondence towards my day to day life before I eventually began searching for contentment elsewhere. Finally, I came to realise the cardinal importance of experience as opposed to acquisition.

I left my job, my home, my friends and my family behind before travelling thousands of miles to a place where I knew no one and no one knew me, with my entire life in a single suitcase.

It was at such a point that I could finally appreciate what was of true importance and what was of importance manufactured by others. I once again began to find joy and excitement in the little things and learnt to appreciate the things I already have, rather than longing for the things I do not.

To be honest, I still have no idea what it is that I truly want for myself in this life and I don’t know that I ever will, but that’s alright, because my life is completely devoid of anything I don’t want.

And I think that’s a pretty good place to start.