Your life is the one thing that belongs wholly and entirely to you. And it’s the only opportunity you’ll get to satisfy yourself and listen to that inner voice that guides you towards betterment and self-satisfaction. Sure, there’ll be obstacles along the way, but the biggest challenge you’ll ever have to face is yourself. However, according to fashion entrepreneur Brandon Shiu-Nan See, the best way to avoid turning into a pebble in your path is to live life at your own pace. Let’s see what he means by it.
Rhythm is a natural law. It’s present all around us. Just think about it, can you pull at the stems or leaves of a tree to make it grow quicker or force a bird to get done with nest-building quickly? No. That is because nature and every natural being follow their natural pace. Except for human beings, of course. We spring from the same planet, but our pace does not always follow its natural rhythm. Brandon enunciates, “We humans are peculiar creatures. When I observe how most of us go about our day, I am forced to conclude that we have no concept of a natural rhythm. But that doesn’t mean we don’t feel its absence. Why else, do you think, we starve for vacations and getaways? It’s to reconcile with our lost inner rhythm and bring it back to the real world with us. Living and working at a natural pace is the essence of living well.”
The world at large, however, disagrees. It forces us to run, climb, sprint—anything but slow down. For Brandon, our conformity to the demands of how the world wants us to collides directly with our natural pace. He says, “It’s not easy to go against the grain. But it’s more difficult to go against yourself. Sooner or later, everyone feels burned out and spread too thin. Often, it’s too late for people to recover from their incessant stressing and unnatural pace of life. However, those who can begin to appreciate their own natural pace and bring it to the world table control the reins of each day of their life.”
Brandon adds that life is tough enough as is, and when we bend to the pressures of our surroundings and pressure, it gets worse. The human dilemma of equating our worth to the amount of money in our bank accounts has robbed humanity of taking life at a natural pace. However, Brandon says that humanity doesn’t share a pace. Everyone is unique, and therefore, we all have different speeds. If you don’t want to drown in the pressure and misery of wishing and what-ifs, Brandon recommends that you start living life at your own pace.
Live your life!
Set your pace, live your life, and keep your passion burning have become cliché, but they need to be said as much as possible for people to remember. It is safe to say that everyone has gone through challenging times in their life. When this happens, it is crucial to find what makes you feel alive. Asking the question, what are you living for, will help you put things in perspective, says Brandon.
In this social media era, setting your own pace is extremely difficult, given that you can see what everyone else is doing. However, your life is yours to live and can never be like anyone else’s. Brandon stresses the importance of viewing your life, at whatever stage you’re in, as unique. Everyone is trying to get somewhere, as are you. It is important to remember that you are not going where they are going, so follow your own path. Despite what society has set as the definition of success and happiness, you have authority over your life, so exercise it.
Brandon explains that most of what you see on social media is a filtered version of everyone’s life. “When human beings are exposed to a series of happy-only events on social media, it gets hard to remember that’s not real life,” says Brandon. Even if you spent all your money or energy trying to be someone else, you would still be you. Therefore, embrace the life you have now and set goals that are unique to you.
Pursuing your own life will help you live a meaningful life, says Brandon. To start this, you need to be honest with yourself. Look for what you really want out of life, what makes you happy, and follow it at the speed you set for yourself. Each moment of life is precious and should be treated as such. Therefore, allow life to take its course by not rushing through it, skipping over stages, and trying to look at what everyone else is doing.
There are underlying laws that govern the workings of the world and the to-and-fro of life. To go against our natural pace is like defying immutable laws. As Brandon says, our best defense against a sense of helplessness is to retain our natural pace of living.
This article was written in cooperation with Brandon Shiu-Nan See.