Me Against the World

The idea of “me against the world” is strange. It implies that, for whatever reason, I pose a threat to The World and, therefore, must be stopped.

The World will strike at me with weather and illness; with fairweather friends and canceled flights; with unrequited love and full seasons of Entourage on demand.

The World is out to get me. The World wants me to fail. The World is an unstoppable current against which I have to battle.

The World is Dr. Doom, hellbent on ruining my happiness and success.

Only…

I don’t think that’s how it works. There’s no supervillain manifested in The World; there’s just the world: at best an indifferent observer, and more likely an inanimate object that doesn’t do too much of anything except not notice when I succeed, fail, live, or die.

The World Is Not Against Me

The world probably doesn’t even know I’m here.

In a sense, this is terrifying. I’m a boat on the ocean, fighting wind and waves, and the storm would swallow me, my hopes, and dreams, all without a thought about me.

How insignificant and small I must be, for the world to take no notice.

The world doesn’t care if I fail.

The World Also Doesn’t Care If I Succeed

I can die in my parents’ basement as a jobless, dreamless nobody, or I can die as the best version of myself I can imagine.

The world doesn’t care either way.

So the world won’t try to hold me back.

In the game of life, I’m playing without an opponent. I can succeed or fail, and the only person who really gives a shit is me.

This is the most hopeful, empowering phrase I can think of: no one but me cares about this.

It means I can do what makes me happy. I can put myself first. I can write, or create, try something I’m not good at, or change my ways.

It also means I’m free to avoid anything hard, scary, uncomfortable, or unfamiliar.

Or I can charge headlong into this burning building and carry out my dreams before there’s nothing left to burn.

I’ll Go as Far as I’m Willing to Go

I only have two obstacles in life: willpower and understanding.

No one will try to stop me from learning enough to gain understanding. So really, understanding is just another test of willpower.

So will I dig in, trust myself, and push until I get what I want in life?

Or will I give up, settle in, and tell myself The World is out to get me?