How The Hell Do You Do It Forever?

I’ve been contemplating recently in my journey towards the oblivion on many things quite regularly. But there was this one particular contemplation which always kept coming back to me, how can I do whatever is that I want to do, forever. Different to the current societal trend where we do something for a while, get bored at it or just give up and move onto the next one. Interesting thought, isn’t it? You put the word “forever” in front of that sentence and it gives it a whole new overwhelming meaning. You are probably the one that understands what I’m talking about or you are the “care-free one” or the “We only got one life one” or “I’m just going to live off my Mummy and Daddy because they rich kinda one” (yes, if that is you, I’m a little judgemental of you but hey it’s your life).

Whoever you are, I just want you to take pause reading this, think of the one thing that you do everyday, not freaking alcohol or weed in case you dumb kids start thinking that but something that actually gives you meaning or purpose. Something that keeps you up at night and wakes you up every morning. Something that makes you insecure but also empowers you. By the way, this does not only mean professionally but it could be even a relationship you have with someone, how can you love this person forever? The real answer to the question both in a professional and personal capacity will only be answered when I’m dead and whoever I had by my side until my forever comes to an end is the person that will give you “my answer” to this question.

But as with anything in life, it’s what we strive towards. Striving towards the ability to do something forever. In my opinion, I feel like we don’t think about this enough. We’re living in an impatient litigious world where everyone has become increasingly impatient where nobody is patient enough to read something to find the answer but would definitely start blabbering out answers only because they want to be seen as an individual with substance. Wouldn’t being patient enough to find the answer actually bring about real substance? Of course it would but we forget that.

Proactively speaking, being impatient is your goddamn fault but our “wonderful little social media world” (sarcasm) has programmed us to not be so. As Chamath Palihapitiya said, our dopamine driven feedback loops has created utter dysfunction in our ability to be patient. We’re all looking for some quick hearts, filters, likes, comments and shares, while the things that actually would take time (because it’s that meaningful) are given up on because it’s taking more time than you expected.

Don’t let me judge you. I have those moments too. It’s pathetic but where the difference comes into play is being self-aware enough to realize that it’s not necessarily true or you interpreted it the wrong way, whatever it is, it ain’t as real as we think.

Every time I think of answers to this question, it reminds me of two simple yet important things I heard a few years back.

I remember Ajmal Hussain, a colleague of mine saying something about developing skill and it one of the best things I’ve heard, he said “Respect to the Skill” which meant respecting the skill enough for it to mature into your intellect which makes so much sense. This does not just apply to skill, but whatever is that you want to do forever, respect it enough for it to mature into your life, to give it time (experience), so that you can do it better, every single day.

But I feel like we already knew the answer above. But I think we kept forgetting that it applies to anything and everything in life. Anything and everything which actually gives Life meaning and purpose needs to mature into our life.

And the other,

“Slow and Steady against things that are hard”. Again, I know you’re thinking of this in a professional capacity but think about it in other aspects of your life, the meaningful relationships you want to continue for freaking forever, how the hell are you going to figure out the “forever” part if you’re going to try and find an answer to something that you only know when you are dead. It makes no sense.

I guess when you really think about it, you have to be patient enough to see it through, courageous enough to hold on tight no matter how hard’s it’s going to get, and having the integrity to be honest to yourself about it.

Easier said than done. The easiest thing for us to do is walk away and I’m sure we all have at some point or the other multiple times, it’s easy for me to write this and say “Respect what you want to do forever” or go at it “Slow and Steady” but once you really do put into practice, it’s as hard as it gets. I’ve always believed that we are all 5% strong and 95% weak because any ordinary individual like me and you can fall victim to desire than value. We can be desired to walk away not because we are incompetent but because sometimes it’s just too much for us to handle no matter how much values we may have instilled in ourselves so yeah, certainly easier said than done.

But if you are reading this, I sincerely hope that you can do whatever is that you want to do forever and for you to really do it forever. I hope you have the patience, courage and integrity to see it through and the support system to tell you to hold on a second longer.

Hope you enjoy this!

Much Love!

Azfar