Failing at life

Don’t worry this isn’t one of my self-indulgent pity pieces. This is an idea I have been reading and thinking about for quite some time. As a child of the eighties I was indoctrinated by the need to succeed, you must be successful. You must own your own home, reach the top of your profession, foreign holidays, investment and a large pension. Only then will you be successful and happy.

Now I’m a bit older I see how wrong this is. I’m not saying if you have achieved this you have made a mistake. If it makes you happy then well done. Most us don’t achieve this but make ourselves unhappy trying to get there. One of my favourite comedians Jeremy Hardy once said on a panel show ‘who do you know who is really good at their job?’ He went on to say most of just get through by just pretending and hoping we don’t get discovered.

I can relate to this for the first few years of qualifying I lived in fear of an official turning up and telling me it was all a mistake and I didn’t really pass. Like many, I have a job where the workload is impossible to stay on top of despite working way over my contracted hours so I survive by cutting corners. I have given up the idea of rising above class teacher and wanting to do was silly. I’m happiest teaching and hate paper work whereas to get promoted I would do less teaching and more paper work. Despite knowing this I still get the odd pang that I’m not succeeding.

My brother has it much more sorted he opted out years ago although he doesn’t have a flushing toilet so I’m not sure I’m going to go that far.

So who is with me and will embrace mediocrity and happiness?