Rising amidst the mediocrity.
- Nov 8, 2023
- 3 min read
Well, it's not rising, exactly.
For a long time, I have felt the need to 'not be mediocre' or 'average.' I knew I didn't want to be average; I despised the thought of being stuck in mediocrity, but my ideas attached to being above average were also pretty...mediocre.
Let me first define what being mediocre means. It means you are average, not something amazing, but just average. Yeah, now nobody wants to be an indifferent individual, which is alright. But back then – when millionaires, billionaires, hustle culture, and me not acing my JEE exams were trending I realized I was only 18. My definition of not being mediocre was – "Ooh, let's earn a sh*t load of money quickly and become happy!" WHICH IS IRONICALLY VERY MEDIOCRE!
I mean, 90% of people reading this would have thought this and I can confidently say they've failed to do so because the 90% reading this are in their college or their early 20s. Last night as I was trying to sleep after a very long day, it occurred to me that maybe just maybe mediocrity doesn't mean you are poor or that you don't have what you want financially but maybe being mediocre means you don't have any of it financially, emotionally, physically, and just probably in any possible way. In that moment I knew I wasn't mediocre. My definition took a 360-degree turn.
Yes, I know right now financially you may or may not have stability, but your life is not a measure of how much money you earn. At least not completely. Stop thinking you are mediocre only because you don't earn right now. For a long time, society has compelled us to think that our financial success defines our happiness and that is certainly absurd. Oh, and no I am not saying you shouldn't work hard to earn money, you should but don't define your legacy, your success, or your life based on how much you earn.
People are earning a lot, but they don't have anybody by their side. That's being mediocre.
People are spending a lot, but maybe not on their loved ones. That's being mediocre.
People are working hard a lot, but they don't meet their parents. That's being mediocre.
People have people, but they don't work hard. That's being mediocre.
People have people, but they don't put in the effort to keep them. That's being mediocre. People have people, but they don't have money because they overspend. That's being mediocre. Listen, I might even be wrong but you and I both know I am making some relevant points. Mediocrity comes at the cost of loss of balance. The moment you lose balance and let that loss of balance consume you, remember that mediocrity is about to enter your life. Again, all of the above are my thoughts and personal opinions. They may not align with you but it's high that you decide what 'not being mediocre' means to you. This decision will change multiple times and that is a sign of growth. Now, the growth can result in either a positive way or in a negative way but that's for you to decide.
So how do you really rise above the mediocrity race? Change. I can write lengths on how to change and what to do in order to change, but I'll just save it for some other day. In order to rise above mediocrity, you have to stop thinking you are mediocre. You would only want to get out of mediocrity because you believed that you were mediocre, which might not even be the case in reality. Change your perception about the person you are. Bridge the gap between who you are and who you want to become. Honestly, it's less about rising above mediocrity but setting the standard of what you define as being mediocre and sticking to it. Well, enough philosophy and food for thought today. Also, happy mid-week!
- Written by Vanshika Patil
Need that blog on CHANGE asap!!