Trapped in Society: Breaking Free and Chasing Your Dreams

These days, I had the chance to meet up with my only friend who’s over 60 – he’s still got more energy than I do! We went to see his solo exhibition and then headed to a lively restaurant. The place was packed with people drinking wine, eating burgers, and having a good time. It was like the entire city was pulsing with energy.

Over wine and chocolate cake, my friend told me about his upcoming movie about a woman who dreams of a different life. It got me thinking about how many of us feel trapped in our current situations. Whether it’s a dead-end job, a bad relationship, or even just a pair of uncomfortable shoes, we all have something that makes us feel stuck.

But my friend thinks it’s not just personal choices that keep us trapped. He believes that society itself is the trap – the rules, the expectations, the pressure to conform. In Western Europe, there’s a culture of keeping up with the Joneses, where everyone is expected to own a big house and have a high-paying job. It’s easy to feel inferior if you don’t fit in with that mold.

This week, while I laid on the sofa with a broken foot, unable to move much or do much, I ran the conversation we’d had over and over again in my mind. Something was not right. He kept saying we were all trapped and that that was it.

But here’s the thing – you don’t have to fit in. You don’t have to be trapped. You can chase your dreams, even if they’re not what society expects of you. Maybe you want to travel, or be a writer, or even just dance naked in your room – it doesn’t matter. It’s all about your mindset actually. What matters is that you take the first step towards doing what you really want and that you stop feeling trapped.

As James Clear brilliantly put it in his newsletter:

“Water never complains, but always pushes back. Always.

Drop a boulder in front of a stream and the water will simply flow around it, taking whatever opening the landscape will give or—when nothing is offered—patiently building up its resources until it rises to a height where a new gap is found.

Flow like water. Never complain, but always push back.”

It can be something small, like spending more time alone, or something big, like quitting your job and starting a new career. But whatever it is, remember that it’s your choice. You can keep sacrificing your happiness for the sake of what society thinks you should be doing, or you can take a chance and pursue your dreams.

And if you fail? Well, you can always go back to your old life, but at least you’ll have a great story to tell. So go ahead, take a chance – who knows where it might lead you! Just don’t forget to make some silly photos along the way!