Embracing Your Small Steps Forward

Photo from Sonia Pulido of The New York Times.

Sometimes, an argument breaks out about the “haves and the have nots.” Tyler Perry even had a pretty decent show titled with the idea. One of the most irritating but consistent responses to the inequality the idea points out is, “We all have the same 24 hours in a day.” That’s a blatant lie. If it were not, we wouldn’t have tuned in to MTV Cribs by the millions weekly. Either way, this isn’t about inequality. Life is meant to be enjoyed, and you should know your only competition is yesterday.

A Tin Spoon

In America, 80% of wealth is owned by a mere 20% of the population. On an individual level, around 82% of individuals make less $100,000 a year. With those numbers, the average American isn’t born with a spoon in their mouth and isn’t making a killing in the workforce. And the average person can’t give their child the same 24 hours a wealthy person can and does. More vitally, if 82% of Americans make less than $100,000 annually, why does everybody on Instagram look rich?

… social media posts are just “bites” of a person’s life…

When you think about it, social media posts are just “bites” of a person’s life and not the real, entire thing. It’s like hearing a soundbite from a person’s alleged lover saying, “I love you.” That message warms your heart, until you hear it in context. “I love you like vegans love beef steak.” In that case, it’s not really that heartwarming.

Thinking along those lines, the Lamborghini an influencer sits on in a pic will last forever. In real life, it lasts as long as the owner is in the store without noticing the influencer sitting on their car. But this doesn’t cross your mind. You want to know how they’re doing it, but you’re not.

Silent, Intentional Progress

As you’ll recall, earning your high school diploma took you four years. It wasn’t like cutting cake, but you made it through with fewer bruises than your classmates. After school, you took your path. Now, with your old classmates as Facebook friends, you’re seeing them on yachts in the South of France. You, on the other hand, are sitting in a windowless office. How do you get to where they are?

The answer is, you don’t. You keep doing what you’re doing. You know when you’ve accomplished a goal or when you conquered a skill. You know when you do it, it’s real and authentic. Think about what you don’t know.

But today came, and here you are with the opportunity to do more.

What you don’t know is how many steroids the Liver King has taken in total or if your favorite player actually did bet against the game illegally. You don’t know if your old friend owns that house or rents that house. And you also aren’t competing with anyone. You’re competing with yesterday.

On that note, yesterday might’ve a day of progress or a day otherwise. But today came, and here you are with the opportunity to do more. This is why you live every day like it’s your last but plan like tomorrow is on the way. So, what did you do yesterday? What will you do tomorrow? What are your plans for today?

… life is closer to a stroll than a marathon.

Whatever you do, do it because doing it makes you better at it. You didn’t know how to draw until you started drawing. It was the misshapen elephant you scribbled in neon crayons years ago that made you the artist you are today. Everything takes effort. These efforts won’t always be works of art. What they will be are the building blocks upward. You stack these blocks methodically.

Because of that, life is closer to a stroll than a marathon. Don’t forget to watch the butterflies and listen to the sweet chirps of birds. Remember to take a rest because that bench isn’t there for decoration. The person who treats life like a marathon runs low on stamina way before seeing the finish line.

The Takeaway

We don’t all have the same 24 hours in a day, but your 24 hours are powerful. You weren’t born with a golden spoon or raised by Franny Fine. But you also don’t post misleading pics and posts online. What people flex with in pictures don’t always tell the entire story. Be thankful for you. Whatever you’re trying to accomplish, you will. Life is a stroll. Enjoy the joys.

This article was written by Jermaine Reed, MFA, the Editor-in-Chief of The Reeders Block. Join the email list to get notifications on new blog posts and books. This article is 100% human-written. And remember, if you see an error, that’s what makes us human.