Novio Kareem

Aesthetics drives results for anything, whether people, products, or things. With the proliferation of influencers, the lines between performance and authenticity are obscure. The relationship between these for the sake of entertainment has developed impractical expectations and standards—particularly in our everyday life, our work, and even our coitus/sex life. 

While we consume this and see it as a form of entertainment, I would like to remind you that, it is staged oftentimes than not. It is our job to figure out what is restorative and meaningful. 

I have seen many day-in-the-life videos. While some are accurate, I cannot help but notice the inexactitude in many. In these videos, life is depicted as always vibrant and varied when for the most part, it is repetitive and sometimes mundane. For example, for a corporate worker (e.g., accountant, software engineer, e.t.c.), tasks aren’t different daily. Some assignments can take up to a week before completion. Or during summer holidays, people aren’t stepping out 100% of the time. There are those few days when they lay low and do nothing more than eat, work, and sleep. Unfortunately, this is the inherent nature of life, but it doesn’t have to be. 

We all have goals, achievements, and a perfect way we would like to exist & do things. It has been preached “perfection is unattainable” but, I would like to differ. There is nothing wrong with striving to be perfect. It only becomes a detriment when you believe yourself to be perfect. There are two definitions of perfect—the verb and the noun form. Perfection (verb) is the intentionality in the alignment of your actions towards a goal with the hopes of attaining faultlessness, while perfect (noun) is merely a title that can be worn in its subjective sense. A person who believes they are perfect, may lack the aim and drive to have future goals. Striving for perfection means giving it your all and avoiding any fallacies within your control. One does this still knowing perfection is impracticable; nevertheless, one still gives it their all. That is what we want to attain.

Time is short, and how we live matters. Living with intention means going beyond self-development and mindfulness about our inner emotions and thoughts. Intentionality is what dictates our direction–it is our driving force. The beauty is not in the end game but in the journey to the end game. Our low days should be valued just as much as the good days. Because at these crossroads is where we decide if what we are fighting for is well worth it.