Are you sitting comfortably? Don't. Life is short

People constantly aspire to have more; to be wealthier, own more possessions and get promotions, which is crazy when you think that there is someone out there who is aspiring to just have what you already do. There are always those better off and worse off than you. Remember that.

I was lucky to have been born in a developed first world country, to have; not just education, food and clean water every day, but also so many opportunities. I'm far from the wealthiest person I know, but I still have so much, I am extremely fortunate. I don't know why I was born into these circumstances and not different ones, but I do know that I definitely won't take it for granted.

I have been that girl; working two jobs, seven days a week just so I can afford to cover my costs. I was literally working to afford working. However, unlike many of my peers, I now refuse to work a job I don't like just to make money, to carry on living a life that I'm unhappy in.

So people should not aspire to materialistic goals. They should strive to improve themselves in some way; making money doesn't equate to making yourself better. Travelling changed my life. My mindset used to be all about money. Although, it wasn't really MY mindset; I was just a product of the society I was raised in. Aspiring to make money and orientating everything around that is what is expected from you as a responsible adult, and is just viewed as being the social norm.

I had myself lined up a successful career based on the hard years spent working to get my degree, but then I boarded a plane to travel the world working as a dive instructor instead. I defied the stereotypical expectations people held of me which was the best decision I ever made.

I quickly came to realise that making money was most certainly not the most important thing in life, not for me anyway. Now I would gladly live out of a suitcase; sacrificing material possessions for life-altering experiences.

So, don't waste your life aspiring for things that can only be measured in materialistic success because, "Life isn't about how many breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away."