573 Magazine 573 Magazine Sep 2017 | Page 4

The internet and social media have changed our lives greatly. It’s hard to believe there was a time before the internet and cell phones; they are simply fantasic. If you are like many people today, the Internet pretty much rules your life.  Many of us spend our entire day connected to social media following all the wonderful, problem-free lives everyone else is leading.  Okay, that was a bit cynical, I admit, but while everyone else is out having a great time, traveling, winning the lottery, dating the most wonderful person on the planet, driving the coolest new car, posting faultless selfies, and retweeting the latest motivational thoughts… you’re left with all the cool things you don’t have and the cool things you’re not doing.  Life according to the Internet: I am the most boring person on the planet with nothing but problems to solve.      Twenty minutes online and it’s hard not to feel cheated by life. After all, if you don’t have the greatest house, or a new expensive car, or the latest 1,500 dollar iPhone, or even a cause—you are a failure. With all the cool things happening online—NOTHING but the best of the best pumped into your skull 24/7—everyone is a failure.  I mean, why aren’t you a billionaire or a celebrity?  Why don’t you have the perfect life?  Why don’t you have everything you want?  You’d be happy then, right?  Wrong!   I say you are much richer and happier than you think.  It’s problems that make us happy. More to the point, solving problems is what really makes people happy.  I can hear you cussing me from here, but keep reading.  Having problems and solving them keeps us focused and moving forward.  Problems give us something worthwhile. After you solve a problem, you feel truly happy: a sense of accomplishment, a check in the win column, a feeling of moving towards something that is YOU. Your problems are good.  Having a new car brings its own problems.  Having a high paying job has its problems. Keeping a perfect body has its problems.  When you solve a problem, or get rich, or accomplish anything… you’ll immediately get brand new set problems to solve.     If you like walking alone in the forest, do it.  If you want a simple family life, do it.  If you really like playing tennis, do it.  If you want to get a new job, do it.  Solve the problems needed to make yourself happy.   There is no such thing as a problem-free life. Don’t let the Internet trick you into feeling like a failure.