who cares?

Last summer, I decided to make some changes in my life. Six months later, I up and left virtually everything and everyone I knew in an attempt to experience more.

To grow more.

To learn more.

Would it be crazy to say that I’ve learned more over the past two months than I have over my entire life? Because that’s how it feels. I’m anticipating and excited for even more lessons to be learned, but for now, I’m glad that I’m in the process of learning at least one. And it’s a simple, two-worded question.

That’s right. WHO. THE HECK. CARES????

Let me show you what I mean.

I didn’t get the job. Who cares?

He didn’t call. Who cares?

I ate too much. Who cares?

I have way too much on my agenda right now. Who cares?

Go ahead and condemn me for being lazy, ignorant, or unmotivated. But you know what? I don’t care. Because at the end of my life, none of that is really going to matter.

I’ve wasted day after day, month after month, year after year worrying about things that were a complete and utter waste of time. While I’m not saying to give up on your hopes or dreams (I’m certainly not) spending one more moment worrying or questioning or pining after something that didn’t go as you hoped or planned is one less moment that you have to be the amazing and joyful person you were created to be.

So here’s what I propose. Next time you catch yourself thinking something similar to what I listed above, say out loud to yourself, WHO CARES? Because chances are, it will change your entire view of the current “disaster” you’re facing.

The thing about having a who cares mentality is that it’s scary. It’s really, really scary. And trust me when I say that every instinct inside of me goes completely against it. While I certainly believe in the power of positive thinking, I also believe that in order to truly live, I personally have to get to the point where I can find joy even in the midst of not “getting what I want.” In my life, that looks a little something like…

I might never fall in love. I might not be able to see the world. I might not have the glamorous, successful life I imagined.

To me, that’s approaching a worst case scenario. But at the end of the day…at the end of my life…it just doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I laughed. I loved others. I experienced joy and pain and everything in between.

But most important of all, I was somehow chosen to know the one and true living God. And nothing – literally nothing – else matters. He alone is enough for me.

You might not agree with me, and that’s okay. But I do think you should ask yourself – are the things that you put your utmost time and energy into really worth it? For me, right now that answer is an overwhelming no. But I’m working on it. And, I’ve got to say that learning to ask myself “who cares?” has been an unexpectedly huge help in getting there.