life rings

Weird metaphor/life observation from me today.  I get philosophical sometimes.  Bear with.  Or maybe it’s not so weird and loads of other people have thought the same thing, hmm…

I kinda like to think of opportunities as a bankable thing.  Kinda like coins, or Sonic the Hedgehog’s rings, if you like.  We go through life accumulating ‘rings’.  In fact life itself is an old-school video game, basically.  One of those you plug into your clunky GameBoy Advance (or Nintendo DS, if you’re really pushing the boat out) and while away hours chasing those little golden circles.  Noughties kids, you feel me?  So yes, I believe we go through our own little lives amassing our own little collection of rings, in order to trade them in one day.

What adds to your ring count?

The metaphor might be simple and rings might be grades, UCAS points, qualifications… that kinda thing.  Stuff you work hard for.  Where they get traded in is fairly obvious, no need to dwell on that one.  You get good grades, you trade them for a job or a course, job’s a good’en.  ‘Trade them in’ is possibly a flaw in the metaphor as I guess you reuse those rings throughout your life, but we’ve started now so let’s just roll with it, ok?

On the other hand (that phrase makes me feel like I’m writing a high school history essay but never mind), rings might be life experience not dealt out by an educational institution or workplace or whatever.  Sure, you might gain ‘real life’ experience whilst earning that certificate, but there are a bunch of other life skills you learn in other ways too.  Making friends with people who genuinely add something to your life.  They increase your wealth.

Some rings you earn by trying super hard and getting to the next level.  Some are bonus points you stumble upon.  Some can be snatched away too, but sadly there’s nothing we can do about the circumstances and people who set you back.  Just try to clutch onto our rings and what we’ve worked for as tightly as possible, I guess.

Lots of stuff adds to your ring count in terms of confidence.  Surrounding yourself with supportive people… doing hard stuff and proving to yourself that YOU GOT THIS… all boosts the ol’ confidence.  And confidence itself is rings to carry forward.  Confidence helps you seek opportunities.

Speaking of opportunity, even with my little wisdom as a seventeen year old, I have a sneaky suspicion that the more rings you collect, the more opportunities will present themselves.  Correct me if I’m wrong.  Some day, you’ll be able to cash in those rings and life will repay you.  It might repay you in one big lump sum, or little installments throughout your life.  Personally I’d go for the little installments if given the choice, but whatever floats your boat.  The more I get caught up in this weird metaphor of mine, the more I think you really do get out of life what you put into it.  Sure, luck and circumstance might mean that some have advantaged and disadvantages in the first place, but at the end of the day, just because someone’s had an easy childhood or whatever doesn’t mean they’ll live a fulfilled life.  Because I really am talking about fulfillment here, NOT anything monetary.  The currency thing is just a metaphor.

Some people give up collecting rings earlier than others, and seem to turn down rings being shoved into their palms.  I don’t get it, and it makes me sad.  The unfulfilled potential, that is.  It frustrates me to see people not making the most of themselves and not accessing the happiness they could have.  Their choice I guess.  I know not everyone is motivated and no two people’s minds are wired alike (believe me, I know), but sometimes I just feel like I want to grab a whole bag of rings, rattle them in their faces, and scream that the rings are RIGHT THERE, you just gotta notice them.  Which obviously I can’t do, because A) this is just some ridiculous metaphor I’m confusing even myself with, and B) I think rings are a very personal thing that only YOU can decide what to do with.

[I feel like here is the point at which I should insert a bunch of motivational Pinterest quotes with artsy backgrounds]

I want to be rich in life rings.  And I’ll work my damned hardest to do so. 🙂

lily kate x

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