Recently, I went through this weird phase where I was consuming so much information that I reached a point where it all became just a little bit too much. Truth be told, I think learning and keeping your brain active is a must, but as with most of the things in life, everything needs to be done in moderation.
I'm a huge fan of the whole "get to know yourself" thing, but it's very easy to fall into this dark rabbit-hole where everything starts to turn into this big fat mush of different thoughts and feelings.
Knowledge is power - no doubt about that, but is there such a thing as too much knowledge?!
Podcasts.
This is probably my favourite way of consuming information. Of course, the amount of podcasts that exist nowadays is ridiculous. It seems like everyone has one. Be it some "famous" person, a successful entrepreneur, a doctor/psychologist, an athlete, a
copywriter, a dog? I might be over exaggerating a bit, but you get my drift.
That being said, the amount of informational frequencies that got transmitted through my ear-drums over the last few weeks was simply overwhelming. Lots of brilliant and bright minds, but, golly, was it a lot, especially, when it came to my favourite "self-improvement" and "life-a-happy-meaningful-life" topics. Do this - don't do that. Think this and not that.
I was consuming so much of the information (talking about hours and hours of podcasts while driving to work, at the gym, at work, after work...you name it) that I reached a point where pretty much everything that those guys said, somehow resonated with me, big time. Stuff about not being happy, being stuck, overthinking, not having goals, all that.
Now, don't get me wrong, I think I am living an awesome life, I have a beautiful person that I love right beside me, I have a lovely family back home, I'm employed, healthy and can afford a thing or two. So no complaints when you really think about it. BUT! There's always a but.
We're all different.
What I failed to understand is that a lot of the information I consumed was coming from people who were living completely different lives, when compared to mine. Their problems were not my problems, their relationships were not my relationships, their social circles were not my social circles and so on. I had to remind myself that their stories were based on their own life experiences. When someone said, "I wasn't happy with what I was doing", "I felt stuck", "I lost my passion", "I'm not as outgoing as I used to be", I was like damn, is that me that they're talking about?! All of the information I was consuming became too relatable and too accurate.
Now, of course, there are some similarities when it comes to how we, as people, react to certain life events and situations. Say, losing a parent, feeling lonely, getting fired, being broke. This is something you can strongly relate to, if you've ever experienced it, of course. But we all handle these things in our own unique way. Some people aren't phased with it at all and can brush it off with ease, while others get depressed and drown in the pool of negativity and sadness. It's a hard thing to generalize. We're all different and that's totally fine.
Filter back ON.
So yeah, it took me a while to snap out of it and realise that I needed to turn that "filter" back on again and take only what I think is useful to me. I still listen to podcasts and audiobooks on the regular, but I'm just being mindful that not everything that is being said is applicable to me and my surroundings. Although, I am the person who can get influenced by someone quite easily, especially when that someone is a person I look up to or admire. I ain't perfect, I know that.
You are not alone.
One last thing to mention is that at times, it might feel like you (me in this case) are the only weirdo who's having these type of thoughts, but in reality it's quite the opposite. I've talked to some of my closest friends and they're all going through the same shit.
A friend of mine said it must be the age (late 20's and early 30's) that is causing this, and I think he's right. I used to think that by 30, you will have everything figured out, but boy was I wrong. In a way it's frustrating, not knowing what the hell are you doing on this planet and what your purpose is, but at the same time, it's the curiosity of trying to figure it out, is what keeps me going forward.
I want to be the person who tries as many things in life as possible, just so I can figure out what is it that I really enjoy and what may not be for me. If you won't try - you won't know.
You can read all of the "self-help" books you want, but at the end of the day, you need to do what feels right to you.
There's no manual on how to live a meaningful and happy life, so try to do the best that you can and the rest will follow.
Stay positive and do what you have to do.
Later, sk8er,
Vinny The Guy