Stop Chasing the Light at the End of the Tunnel

In life, we seem conditioned to chase a perceived light at the end of the tunnel. We do it in our personal lives and in our business lives. But what’s the rush?

In business, people use this saying to describe the feeling of being overwhelmed. “I just don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” they say. But what if that isn’t necessary? What if you are making a mistake by chasing this idea? What if this causes you to skip over celebrated moments? What if this happens to create another all-too-common sentiment: that life passed you by?

What if these lights are meant to be found daily? What if the light has been blinding you the entire time? What if each item knocked off your checklist is a light, or that meal you ate perfectly within your health guidelines was a light? 

What. If. You. Could. Evolve. Your. Mindset.

Would this create more happiness? Would you feel more fulfilled and less overwhelmed? Would you find more peaceful moments? 

The silver lining in rough moments is that they should create pause and reflection to help you reset your outlooks. This happens when tragedy hits us. It forces us to understand our own mortality. When we understand our own mortality, we adjust our mindset.

So, if you are reading this column and feeling overwhelmed – in life, at work, anywhere — remember a few things:

1. You will die someday.
2. On that day you will no longer feel overwhelmed.
3. Is that the light you are looking for?
4. Or, are you looking for smiles every minute of every hour of every day?
5. The light you perceive you are looking for may not exist in the fashion you think it lives.

I don’t claim to be perfect at this, but I do think a lot about finding purpose and value in the singular moments. Then, hopefully, the collection of a ton of small awesome things may equal a bright light that when I see it, I see it with grace and comfort knowing the blinding of life brought me more happiness than not.