We Must Run Towards Responsibility

Good Morning Y'all

Today, I wanted to write about my personal experiences when it comes to once running away, now running towards responsibility.

TWO YEARS AGO

Almost exactly two years ago is when I felt like I had reached the pinnacle of freedom.

I was young, healthy, had some money in the bank, no commitments, and owned very few possessions.

I moved across the world with the freedom to do whatever I wanted at any given time.

Despite having what society would describe as a golden ticket, this is when I felt most miserable.

I was free from all responsibilities. Isn't that a man's dream? No, it's a boy's dream.

Having no responsibilities felt like having no reason to live.

Right before that point of my life, like many others who anxiously wait for the chance of freedom, I was living a very misaligned life.

I had been doing all the things society tells a 22-year-old to do…

Like going to college,

Attending football games and drinking beers with buddies,

Making some money on the side,

Constantly dating women,

Most of all, avoiding any lifelong commitments.

Although I completely understand why that's appealing to some, it never felt fully congruent for me.

I was mostly pretending that I wanted and enjoyed that lifestyle, when in fact I knew it was never what my heart truly desired.

THE PROBLEM

The problem that most of us face is that we are living life in a way that is unaligned.

It's incongruent with what we know to be the highest version of ourselves.

We can't help but dream of a life where we are alleviated from these unaligned responsibilities.

Because of this, working a misaligned job makes us dream of a vacation.

Being in a misaligned marriage makes us dream of divorce or having an affair.

This same trend will continue in nearly every aspect of life.

THE CONSEQUENCE

Living a misaligned life is due to many different factors.

One of the largest is trauma. Trauma causes us to believe that we aren't enough, or simply aren't worthy of living an aligned life.

It says that only a select few are chosen to have what we want, but we are not one of them.

On top of that, society often persuades us that it's nearly pointless to pursue one's dreams, due to the perceived odds of success.

The major consequence of a misaligned life, no matter the reason for it, is that we are on an unconscious quest to escape from the present moment.

This is the reason for any imbalance in our life.

It's the reason why we overeat,

why we drink alcohol and do other drugs,

why we cause arguments with our loved ones,

why we write something hateful towards others online,

why we don't feel as if it's worth it to get out of bed in the morning.

It's all because we are unbalanced, due to not living an aligned life.

It's not your fault that you are misaligned.

Many larger forces at play have rigged the game so that the path of least resistance is doing something misaligned.

The way money is currently being printed, it may feel harder and harder to "do what you love" all day.

The way junk food is being pushed upon us, it may feel harder and harder to eat healthy.

The way societal norms have convinced the masses to behave, it may feel harder and harder to go against the grain.

It may not be our fault that we are misaligned, but it is our responsibility.

THE SOLUTION

I've noticed that the more responsibility I choose to take on in my life, the happier and more fulfilled I feel.

It’s the reverse of what we've been taught to believe.

Anyone who is currently considering adding more onto their plate, I strongly encourage you to ask…

Will taking on this responsibility make me a better person?

If so, I implore you to not run away from responsibility but to embrace it.

This is how a boy becomes a man, by waking up and realizing that life is not just about them, but about the world that surrounds them.

True fulfillment and joy come when a man lives a life dedicated to serving others.

I share this with you because of the same reason for all the other Love Letters…

This is advice I wish I could've given my younger self.

That's it for today.

I love you all so incredibly much.

See you tomorrow!

-Cameron Hogan