I remember my first year at university and living in an apartment that was just a 3 minute walk from the beach. That view gave me the motivation to start running again. I used to run on-and-off during my high school years. It was just for me, nothing professional, no teams, just me and the road ahead but I injured my foot a few months prior to graduating high school and I had to stop running for a while.
When I moved to Zadar, the view of the sea and that whole image of running by the beach gave me the motivation to start running again even if it was a bit too early. I would wake up early so I could do my run, shower and get to my classes. One morning it was a bit cold outside because there was a storm the night before. The waves splashed the shore and the road. One thing I was not counting on is that it would be very slippery on the beach. While I was on the road it was all good but after a while, I jumped down to the stone paved beach and noticed my feet were sliding further back and it was hard to hold my balance.
Before I could stop myself or get back on the road, I fell down. My knees and palms hurting, my phone and earphones flew away. I knew I hurt my thigh because I could feel it pulsating. I got up, picked up my phone, carefully got up to the road and continued my run. I’ve never felt that type of power in my life. I took the phrase “fall down and get back up” literally.
I don’t know what made me do it. I remember coming back to my apartment, jumping in the shower and there was just blood on my thigh. I had a little wound that was physical but, despite falling down, I did not have a wounded pride or felt any embarrassment. I felt power and I felt good about myself. My running didn’t stop there.
Today, I look at my decisions and how I manage falling down literally and figuratively. Now I get anxious when I fail, I beat myself down about my mistakes, I constantly question myself for not having figured out what I want to do with my life. I drop every good habit I build, such as working out or journaling and then I make myself feel awful for not being able to maintain a healthy habit. Instead of carefully walking to the road and continuing my run, I am trying to run on a slippery stone paved beach. I am not standing up and the run is never finished.
Why? Why do I do this? What is the difference between me now and me then?
I was about 19 then and I am 25 now. Then, I wasn’t defined by anything. I was at that beautiful stage of life where you feel like the world is at your feet and you have the chance to try new things and find yourself but I wasn’t in a rush to define myself. I had labels such as “student”, “part-time waitress”, “blogger” but none of those were defining. It was okay to fall down because that didn’t mean I failed. It just meant that I have to try again or find another path.
I don’t know where this shift happened. All of the sudden, the world that was once at my feet was now on my shoulders. The labels went from being non-defining, to being a burden. “College dropout”, “no career path”, “average blogger”, “no future”. I expected myself to know what I want to do, to become mature and I was anything but.
I know that people around me saw me as an adult and I realized I would trade all of that to be an irresponsible teenager who has to ask her mom for permission to go out on Friday. There is this line that society, capitalism or someone else drew and that line is the line up to which you can be an undefined kid. Once you come to that line, you are supposed to jump over it as a functioning adult who has their life figured out and knows what they are doing. I think there are rare people who succeed at this jump. Most of us are just faking it to comply with what’s expected of us. That line is dropping lower and lower, giving us less time to be undefined.
I liked being undefined. I liked not knowing what was waiting for me or what I am going to do. I liked having this mystery about my life and having this space to dream, fantasize and picture what I want. Now, I have bills I have to pay, a job I have to do, I know exactly what my day is going to look like tomorrow. I have a book idea but I am still to put it on paper because something always pops up or I am just too exhausted for my creativity to have time to run freely. I am not defining myself by what I could do, but by what I have to do and when I fall down and I define myself as a failure.
I give up because it’s easier. I am not writing my book because I started writing many books and I defined myself as a failure when I would hit writers block. I am using the vast world of distractions social media has to offer to numb myself down.
I believed I wanted to build a successful career at something. I believed that I just wanted a high salary because I don’t ever want to live in poverty again. I believed I wanted to make my mother proud. I believed I wanted to exercise and eat healthy. I believed I wanted to be a professional blogger. I believed I wanted to be a digital marketing expert. I believed I wanted to be a youtuber. My latest belief is that I want to be a project manager.
I could go on for hours with these “wants” and “beliefs” but at the end of the day, what I want most in life is to just be undefined.
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I think there’s a gentle appreciation to that lack of definition. I suppose that’s been a trend of the generation growing up in the 90s and early aughts – our indeterminate determination to be definitely undefined. I don’t think that’s wrong at all, even if this consolation comes from other undefined people lingering here on the fringes of the internet.
At 48 I’m still jumping. It will be sorted out even if it isn’t pretty. At least you are self-aware. Most people can’t say that💙
Luna, this post absolutely resonates with how I’ve been feeling lately. You’ve put into words what I’m experiencing. Thanks for sharing your story. Let undefined be the word of the year for 2022. Let’s get back to childlike wonder and curiosity without judgement and labels. No failure. Just exploration, experience and enjoyment.
Luna, this post has put into words what I’ve been feeling and experiencing lately. Let undefined be the word of the year for 2022. Let’s step into a world of childlike wonder and curiosity. No failure. Only exploration, experience and enjoyment. Thanks for sharing your story.
Sorry if this is a repeat comment. I refreshed the page by accident while posting.
I think the common theme here is that you have the personality type where you need to be doing something of value, and you like to take action, be proactive. And not feel like you’re living in a vacuum. A lot of people end up doing jobs merely to pay the bills. Which is fine if you can do that, but for some it’s impossible. The challenge then is finding a way to satisfy your daily needs in a way that is valuable.
I think all these false starts and failed habits is just your body/mind telling you it’s fundamentally dissatisfied, and it’s great that you’re listening to it. I’ve been there, and I’m on a better path now, albeit slowly. It’s frustrating to have a lot of energy but lacking in direction. Analysing it philosophically as you are doing will help.
Hi 🌊 ! I just discovered your blog, v nice 😊 On my 21st year on this Earth, I like to identify with who I be.
Undefined sort of sounds like life, like how we cannot read who we are as we read ink, plain as day, but we can read it kind of like brail, feeling it out and counting the changes in each bump on the road.
I am being a writer by blogging, journaling, and storytelling but when I change activities I am something new. When I am running, hit training, or stretching I am suddenly an athlete. Undefined is a simple yet powerful metaphor for the flow of roles. Never give up 🤠 thank you for your wisdom 🦉