The struggle to be more than average.

[isabel]

I'm pretty darn average, but I'm good with it for the most part. Obviously, I would love to be super wealthy and not have to work, but aside from that... shrug.

[lauren170]

Yes. But you don't need to be greater than average to be happy. Happy is in the smallest moments and living in the moment. For me it's sitting in a park with my baby watching a fountain. I've had a high powered high paying career- greater than average- and it didn't equal happiness.

[pt716]

Yes and it is an issue for me. I sometimes feel like what is the point if I am just another average nobody that makes no real impact.

[ZoeHart]

Yes. My life is not super exciting but most of the time I like it. It's those moments when someone asks so what's going on with you or what's new that I realize how average my life is.

[Deleted]

I'm totally average but am also totally content with it. I know what makes me happy and don't care if what I call success others would think is failure.

[BaliHai]

I'm fine with being average; I'd rather be happy, so that's where I focus my energy - figuring out what I can do to make that happen and, more importantly, how to make it last.

[gozf]

I really used to think I was gonna do really cool stuff. And now I realize that I'm probably just gonna watch a lot of reality tv and sing to my cat.

Surprisingly, I'm pretty ok with it.

[pittsmcgee]

Hell yes.

[dowagercountess]

When I was younger.

[sequins]

I know exactly how you feel. I've slowly trained myself to not think that way. It sucks to see people pass you by but remember that your journey is unique and you are not at the end of it yet unless you quit!!

If you are looking for fame or money, I don't have an answer but I've always wanted to do something in my life that meaningfully impacted the world around me. I don't mind working at it one patient at a time. I think you are contributing to the world beautifully with your skill and benefitting and inspiring many many lives (human and canine). If that's average, so be it, kwim? you are still special.

[TrickyBob]

I see a lot of my classmates living these fabulous lives; vacations, careers, new wonderful jobs, traveling all over the us/world for their jobs, etc. And here I am all "I have 1/8th of a degree, I'm married, I'm looking for any kind of work, and the most exciting part of my day is making dinner."

I feel like I ended up as average Bob, living the average life, doing average things.

[papie]

Maybe it is maturity or maybe I am just full of myself, but I don't feel average I feel like a pretty special snowflake most of the time, lol.

[Deleted]

I feel the same way, especially when it seems like everyone I graduated is in graduate school or med school.

[trixiedicksnatch]

I struggle with this when it comes to everything. If I don't do better than average or look better than average or cook or clean or parent or wife or work or school all of it better than average in my mind I've failed completely.

The parenting and looks (specifically weight$ are my biggest issues right now.

[curtains]

There are a lot of days where I am pretty sure average is a step up.

[lime]

Eh. I am better than average at some things, average at others and below average at some. Everyone falls under this pattern.

I try to recognize what I am good at and can improve, what I am not good at and can improve on and what I'm not good at and really won't improve no matter how hard I try.

I also try to shift the focus from "am I better than average?" to "am I enjoying my life?" when I can.

[themoneytree]

Not at all. I don't feel like I have led an average life and while I am a run of the mill stay at home Mom right now I still don't feel average. Or I'm very comfortable with being average. I'm not sure which! ; )

[Deleted]

I used to feel very special and non-average. I have a pretty awesome career. Unique, kinda badass, have to be smart and brave to do it, pays well. That plus living in a city and being cute and thin, dating a lot and with lots of friends, and I really felt like I was killing it.

Now I have the same career but will be making a change soon to something less intense. I moved to the suburbs. I'm still reasonably cute and thin but I'm 5-10 lbs heavier and fashion is getting harder to keep up with. My stepkids' schedules pretty much dictate my life. I do a lot of yardwork. At this point I'm pretty average, and I think a baby will be the final nail in the average coffin for me. Surprisingly though I'm ok with it. I'm really happy like this. I'm coming to realize that there's a reason the majority of people choose to live this way!

[pantsparty]

I am pretty zen about being average. You know, like how dumber people are happier? LOL.

Really, the pressure I put on myself is to do the best I can. One area I'm lacking right now is giving back. I don't care about leaving a large impact, but I feel like if I can make positive, small impacts, I'm doing okay.

[Deleted]

Jul 15, 2014 18:45:16 GMT -5 cjoy said:

Social media makes it seem like everyone has a fabulous life; most people are totally average doing average things.

I totally agree. I posted a bunch of pictures from the wedding we went to on IG this weekend. When I got to work on Monday, my coworkers were shocked to hear that it was absolute hell. They said from the pictures it looked like we had a wonderful time.

There is a lot of fake and fluff out there.

[sicilygirl]

I'm so very average, and most of the time I'm completely fine with that. But sometimes it can be pretty disheartening to feel like other people are always passing me by.

[sweetnsour]

I used to tell myself that I am awesomely average. But honestly, I don't think anyone is average at everything. You might have an average job, average smarts and average money but the combination of everything makes people unique. It is amazing how people with similar backgrounds can have totally different lives with outcomes that make them happy. I think you need to find your niche that makes you not care if your average because you are fulfilled.

[TC]

I felt pretty average after seeing HTTYD2. I mean... I'm not domesticating nightfuries so what's the point in anything?

[flex]

There may be periods in your life where you WISH you were average.

Everyone likes to stand out in some way, but as time goes by you have to accept that "you're not all that and a bag of chips", and that's okay. And who knows, maybe in 5-10 years you'll be afforded an opportunity to shine in ways you never thought possible.

[hulley]

I don't love being regular but I also know myself enough to know I'm never going to want to put in the level of effort being above-average requires. I'm happy with my life 90% of the time. Some days I think "man, it sucks that we won't ever be billionaires", but I enjoy my job, family and friends, and that is enough for me.

Bonus - I remember that everyone posts their best selves on Facebook/Instagram/etc and that the "average" stuff is left out. Helps with perspective

[TC]

Jul 15, 2014 19:07:37 GMT -5 mp said:

Jul 15, 2014 18:52:49 GMT -5 themoneytree said:

Not at all. I don't feel like I have led an average life and while I am a run of the mill stay at home Mom right now I still don't feel average. Or I'm very comfortable with being average. I'm not sure which! ; )

When I look @ my life and opportunities, and what I've done, I don't always feel like I'm doing average things. And yet I feel like this. LOL.

I don't know.

I don't knooooow.

It's very few people, social media wise, that I ever find myself jealous of (the girl that travels for a living is one of them, heh). I really do love my life in so many ways. My concern is that when I die I will have left very little impact on those around me.

In all seriousness, this is something that is coming up a lot for me in my household lately. I happen to want to pursue a pretty average joe career path, whereas my H has some fairly huge dreams that could change a lot of lives and he is working hard to make it happen. It's been coming up in context of having kids-- that I don't want them to remember their dad as being a superhero and their mom just being boring and purposeless. I worry they wouldn't be proud of me. I'm feeling the urge to find something bigger to put some energy into these days, preferably something that will still be there after I'm gone. But, with that said, I recognize it is a luxury to have such concerns and I have a good haha at myself after I wallow in it for awhile, because honestly... life is good for those of us who can worry ourselves with these kinds of thoughts.  

edit for grammar fail

[ProfessorArtNerd]

On the surface, my job is kind of impressive. I mean, I get a lot of "oh, you teach COLLEGE!" and "wow, really?" when I say what I do. But I don't feel impressive bc I know I make shit for money, can't pay back my student loans, and have zero job security. In my case, people who have an antiquated idea of what academia is works out to my benefit.

I like to think I make a difference, but I don't know. I volunteer a lot? But I'm a cheer coach, I'm not feeding the poor in Calcutta or anything.

In other words, yes, I do feel pretty average

[flex]

Jul 15, 2014 19:34:54 GMT -5 ProfessorArtNerd said:

On the surface, my job is kind of impressive. I mean, I get a lot of "oh, you teach COLLEGE!" and "wow, really?" when I say what I do. But I don't feel impressive bc I know I make shit for money, can't pay back my student loans, and have zero job security. In my case, people who have an antiquated idea of what academia is works out to my benefit.

I like to think I make a difference, but I don't know. I volunteer a lot? But I'm a cheer coach, I'm not feeding the poor in Calcutta or anything.

In other words, yes, I do feel pretty average

YOU are not average because you got to pet Jon Snow!!!

[zoidberg]

I know what I am and what I'm not. It's cool.

Being above average sounds like a lot of work.

[pt716]

The interesting thing for me is that what I am finding "important" doesn't necessarily correspond with money or status. I remember being in grad school thinking that if no one was working on my project, it would make absolutely no difference. But then working the county elections felt so much more important because even though it was a low skill job that tons of other people could do, it was important that it got done. So I guess I care less about being special and more about putting my energy towards things I think are important.