My boring life in Finland
Romanticise the fuck out of your life
I've had one big fear. One thing that I wanted to avoid in this one life that I have…
The fear of leading a boring life. One that flashes by in a dull glow of mediocrity. Everything I wanted to be and do was as far away from that as possible.
My dreams changed regularly as a kid. I had these grand ideas of changing the world and doing something extraordinary. I went from wanting to be an actor to a rugby player, to a missionary, to a musician.
Yes, there was a time when the idea of being a missionary was attractive to me. I grew up in a church, so a lot of my views were shaped by the church. I wanted to do good in this world. I can clearly recall sitting my family down and telling them that my calling was to go out into the world, preaching the gospel and going wherever God wanted me to go. I was special. Sleeping on the streets while traveling to tell people about Jesus was somehow a reasonable plan in my young mind. Exciting. Something boring people didn’t have the balls to do.
Normality was the enemy. In every. sense. of. the. word.
As I grew older, this rebelliousness against normality only intensified. I know I’m not the only one. I know many of you watched films like Fight Club. Films that told us that society was this sheep-making factory. That we are rats in a race. We are taught to think in boxes. We are taught in boxes. We drive around in boxes—and in the end—when we die, we are put in boxes. How does one break out of this societal trap of being normal and boring? The normality of life was a curse that only the lucky could break.
This type of thinking awakened a rebelliousness in me that could not be satiated by what I deemed to be “normal.” So when I thought of my future, my mind went far afield. Reality mixed in with magical fantasy. The heroics of Aragorn inspired me. The magical castle of Hogwarts lit up my mind with wonder.
My life had to be something special. Something different. Something amazing. I would never be a sheep in the matrix.
Today, I work a 9-5 job. I live in a pretty obscure country… Finland. The city of Helsinki is lovely. But let's be honest… It's not very remarkable when placed against cities like New York or London.
Most days, I wake up at 7 a.m. I sit down, have a cup of coffee by the window, and then write in my diary for a few minutes. I do a little exercise, take a shower, get dressed, and then head off to work. I do indeed have a lot I’m working towards. But as of right now: I’m far, far away from being a millionaire. I’m 32 years old, unmarried, no girlfriend, no kids. I go through ups and downs. The clock ticks, my heart beats, moments turn to days, days to years. Seasons change. Friends come and go. If life is a journey, I don’t “feel” that I’ve arrived anywhere in particular.
To add insult to injury: I live in a box. I am… normal.
Did I miss an off-ramp somewhere?
But that’s the wrong question.
The right one is… Why do I love my life so much? Why do I feel so grateful for where I am right now? How can I, seemingly, be so far away from my dream of being extraordinary? And yet, here I am bursting with gratitude.
The universe. Some say it’s truly infinite. Some say it’s curved. Some say it was created. But we can all agree that it is too big for our minds to comprehend.
So far as we know, the only planet to have observable life is Earth. A planet, yes. But a mere speck of dust in a ray of sunlight, surrounded by blackness. It is here that life started. How? We’re not sure. It is on this tiny planet that all recorded and unrecorded history took place. All this history somehow led to me being born.
People have tried to crunch the numbers—the odds of you and me existing—unbelievable. The mere reality of our existence is beyond extraordinary. It’s a miracle. The most incredible thing you have done or ever will do is being alive. And you didn’t even do that. It was a gift.
So, I no longer put pressure on myself to “be something.” Every breath I take is a miracle. I know this sounds melodramatic… but it's true.
It’s from this place of gratitude and understanding that I can work towards being whatever I want. I’m a child in a playground. There is so much I’m trying to build and achieve. I have hopes and dreams, for sure. But I’m no longer concerned about breaking the mold or being different. I already have and I already am.
If this video teaches you anything, it’s this: romanticize the fuck out of your life. Every moment is special. Whether you’re sitting, drinking coffee. Spending time with people you love. Holding your child, going for a walk, watching a film. You are the hero of your own story. You experience life in a way that no other has or ever will. Life isn’t a journey. It’s a dance. Yes, times can be rough. Times can be great. But keep on dancing.
You are already extraordinary. So you might as well have a good time with it.
Here is the Youtube video version of this post. I’m really proud of it. I had such a fantastic time putting it all together!
My boring life in Finland