Society has a concept called “normal”. “Normal” refers to the “ideal” person, the person everyone should strive to become. If someone says you are “not normal”, they are referring to how you differ from the “ideal person”. This concept can hurt, can be used as an insult, as a means to upset another. I never really understood this concept. I only ever understood that people were calling others different. Only recently did I truly understand. Humanity has many faults, many ugly sides, many lies we tell. However, this one hurts the most. Over time, these words begin to affect your idea of “self”. If you are told that being a white-collared business man is ideal, that will unconsciously become your image of “ideal”. If you are told to become a fisherman, a baker, a lawyer, a chef, a musician, an author, an artist, a nurse, a doctor,  an entrepreneur, whatever job it is, that will eventually fill in the word “ideal”. And this concept begins to put pressure on your life, and begins to hold you at the throat. There is one concept that can fight it. This concept is “regret”. If you only  ever follow the “ideal” path, you will never have a chance to see unfamiliar horizons, and slowly you lose yourself. The feeling that is left behind is sometimes referred to as an emptiness, or a void. No, it's a regret. The regret that you never explored, never ran in your own direction. That regret can be a driving force to change, or it can become a cloud, blocking the sun from your eyes. I believe there is no way to avoid regret. 

You want to “live a life without regrets”? 

You want to “die happy”? Don’t feed me that crap.

“ If you want something, work for change!” It’s not that easy, you know. Losing is very easy, and so is giving up. Winning takes strength and bravery not everyone has. Just because one person can do it doesn’t mean everyone else can, you know. “Perfect” is just a meaningless and non existent word. You’re telling me to be flawless? That will never happen. “Normal”? “Ideal”? “Perfect”? Not everyone can achieve everything, society. Name every achievement you’ve earned. Are any of those concepts on there? “Normal” is just a middle ground between good and bad. In this world, there is no “normal”. “Ideal” is just a common ground between great and perfect. “Perfect” is just a word to describe society's will. If you listen, you will regret it. If you disobey, you will regret. There is no way to live up to expectations. There is no way to be normal, perfect, or ideal. There is no way to live a life without regrets. There is no way to die truly happy. There will always be that one embarrassing moment from kindergarten, or that time you spilled your tea at a restaurant. That time you ripped your skirt. That time you snapped in front of your parents. Again, perfect doesn't exist. Live as who you are, or as what others want you to be, and there will always be something you will regret. The point of living is not to be successful or to be rich. The point of living is not to get married and have children or to make the world a little better. No, those are just side roads. The point is to find a way to laugh and smile despite that. It doesn’t matter if you’re mentally or physically disabled, it doesn’t matter if society can’t accept you. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you can enjoy each day. 

If you’re a prodigy or an idiot, a noble or a peasant, a government worker, a politician, a janitor, an orphan, a widow. It doesn’t matter. What matters is if you can find a goal or reasons to live by outside of that. 

Thank you for reading!! This is entirely my opinion, and you are free to believe otherwise. I'm sorry if this negatively impacted you in any way, and I hope you can give me some tips on how to improve my writing in any way.