A Fixation on Numbers

Let me cut straight to the point. Our society has a strong obsession with numbers and when I say this, I mean in every way possible. You and I are both fixated on the numbers of our life.

You may be confused, so let me break it down. When you were born, the most important thing to your parents was how much you weighed. Now you might say “I lost 5 pounds this week!” or “I’m unhappy that I gained the Freshman-15″. Society looks at numbers, in terms of weight, as a valued sense of our pride and joy. Are you happy that you lost a certain number of pounds? Upset that you gained? Counting calorie intake or how many calories burned? All of these numbers take away the feel-good accomplishments of being a healthy and happy human being.

When you had that really hard test or exam, did you ever ask someone else what they got on it? Or when you took the ACT in high school, were you obsessed with knowing everyone else’s scores and the number of schools they were applying to? Well, maybe that was just me. Are you looking at grad school and stressing yourself over what score you need to get on the LSAT, CPA or what GPA you need? These numbers take away from the genuine benefits that we receive from learning. In the long run, who cares if you didn’t get the highest score on the exam? If you learned something at all, be proud of yourself!  

To all the parents reading this, when was the last time you weren’t stressed about your financial being? Your mortgage or car payment and think of a way to save money?  While it obviously is important to save money and ensure financial security, you might just be better off as you are now. But really, who cares if you go over budget for a given month? Did you buy something that will make you happy? I sure hope you did- that’s all that matters! 

I understand that our world might be in a different time right now. Instead of obsessively watching the news, counting the number of cases or deaths in your hometown, reach out to someone you know is suffering. Ask them how they are doing. Affected by COVID-19 or not, people need to know that they are cared for. 

Now, I get that this all sounds typical. You always hear people say, “don’t count the days, make the days count”. I sure know that I am counting down the days until I can go back to school, return to summer camp, I turn bar-legal or am able to be with my friends. Yet, we all need to take a step back and reflect. Life is a gift, a beautiful one at that. Stop obsessing over the little things and take each day with a grain of salt. If right now couldn’t tell you any better, we don’t know what tomorrow may bring, so do something today that makes you happy. And if you gain an extra pound, spend an extra dollar or sacrifice a percentage on an exam, just remember that you can look at life differently and you can make a difference. 

• corona
• life
• numbers
• obsessions
• weight