Mrs. Micah, not a superachiever.

This first part comes from my experiment in not sweating the small stuff:

How many people actually want to be superachievers? What is a “superachiever”? I pondered these today while trying to be mindful of today’s goal. If a superachiever heads a corporation, nonprofit, etc…I don’t think that’s for me. I don’t want to be Oprah or Donald Trump or a lot of those people. I know his point is that you can do that sort of thing and still be gentle and relaxed, but that’s not the life for me.

Now, on the other hand, if by superachiever he also means, say, a stay-at-home mom raising 2 or 3 kids and also writing books, doing volunteer work, etc, then that’s more up my alley (or a dad, but I’m a girl). And as someone raised by such a mom (well, not the book-writing part, but she homeschooled us and taught a few other classes), I know that’s an awfully busy job. And I’ve seen that Mom was generally much more relaxed than either of us kids were. Or maybe a career woman who does an excellent job helping people through her work, going above and beyond what is required. I’m on board with that as well. I’m just not CEO, multi-millionaire material.

Or maybe I could just be a really score quilter.

So basically, by spending a day thinking about it, I realized that I didn’t want to be a superachiever. The same way I don’t want to be president of the USA. Not my kind of job. I like being me, I like sitting in my apartment and working on wonderful little quilts. I like chilling with my husband and my friends.

I’m hoping to become a Franciscan tertiary, so I wouldn’t be going after the money. Well, if I did I’d just end up giving it all away. Sure, I like it when people think I’m great, and the more the better, but I’m only willing to do so much for the court of public opinion. Plus, people are so fickle.

Unfortunately, it’s hard for us to realize sometimes how happy we are in our lives now. Watched Marie Antoinette tonight and caught myself thinking “Wow, I’d love to have that dress, or that dessert.” But that husband, that destiny? No thanks. And do I really want that dress? It would be nice, but I’m sure I could get just as used to such dresses as I do to my own clothes.

Our minds are wired to all-or-nothing thinking. If we don’t want to be a Fortune 500 CEO (or something similar, like the head of a charity), then we lack initiative. If we’re happy in our current situation, then we’re screwed or boring or dull or hopeless.

No, that’s not it at all! Life can be about growth, even within routines. We can be happy with our current situation and still look forward to something different (not necessarily more “successful”) in our futures.

I didn’t substantially alter my life today by beginning the RIP II challenge. It didn’t affect my pay, my hobbies, my friends. It doesn’t even cost money (libraries, internet!). But I find it really exciting! It did affect how I’m going to spend my reading time. It’s a luxury I have right now by not trying to be a superachiever, even a gentle and relaxed one. By not having constraints and demands on my time. I’m sure it’d be harder, for example, if we had kids–even if Mr. Micah were the one who stayed with them.

So shout out to enjoying life, just as it is. And to finally having medication (thanks, MIL!) so that I have more energy and seratonin.

-MM

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