Escapism is the habitual diversion of the mind to purely imaginative activity or entertainment as an escape from reality or routine
Definition from the Merriam-Webster
We all do it every single day… sometimes, every hour… and it’s beautiful, fantastic, it’s the reign of the brilliant mind over all. It is the power of creativity and imagination, probably some of the most powerful qualities in a human. They can be used in good or bad, in creating or destroying, but in the end, the way our brilliant mind works is absolutely delicious.
Escape Into My Words
We escape every day! Now, you are escaping in my words and my ideas, reading this article. You may imagine how I stand at my laptop, typing these words. Maybe I am reading out loud too and the trembling sunset just hid into the clouds, leaving my studio. The window is wide open and the music of the street plays in the background.
I am sure you now have an idea about this moment, you escaped in my universe. This happens every time we read a book, we see a film, a play or we daydream and get lost in that fantasy or even in a distant memory. That’s so amazing! We can escape and travel anytime that we want! You can be in a prison and still think that you are in the gorgeous sunlight on a beach.
Different Types of Escapism
Your mind can also be tricked in believing many things and we all know the power of alcohol, drugs and other chemical substances that may distort our reality and transport you into a different dimension. There are also the video games and virtual reality that take you into another world, but there are also real things that you may do from time to time to escape your reality, like cheating on your partner or doing things that you don’t normally do. Going out and forget about yourself and even holidays are a form of escapism, the most known and socially accepted form of escapism. We need that!
A Natural Mechanism
It’s in our nature, our core, it’s one of the strongest desires ever – we want to escape. it’s either because our minds senses danger or we just want to avoid discomfort. It’s how our brain is wired! You want to get out of an uncomfortable situation, a toxic relationship, a boring conversation, traffic, daily routine and so many things that are YOUR LIFE.
You go to the gym, you go on holidays, you do yoga, you go out on Saturdays, you see films, you go to the concerts, you read and you sometimes do all this to avoid the reality of your life, the work that you don’t like, your environment, even your status or accomplishments. The urge to run and seek freedom is so great, it is one of the most powerful engine that we have! Maybe we need it! No matter where we are in this world, we wish for more, we would have liked to be somewhere else, we are never happy fully with the current situation and praise for those who are! Fully! Completely!
It’s the reign of the brilliant mind over all. It is the power of creativity and imagination, probably some of the most powerful qualities of the human.
Discovering New Worlds
Even if we are fully happy and fulfilled, we still want that sweet escapism! I love entering new worlds, discovering new ideas, new minds, philosophies, stories, cultures, people, countries, everything! I have this huge hunger for knowledge and I always had it! This is how I have been my whole life and you may say it’s escapism, right? But what happens when escapism becomes YOUR REALITY? You feed off it, you live for it and you fully enjoy it!
Are You Happy?
The problem is with most people who are not happy with their current situation and life and I see more and more unhappy people, that wish a change, wish to escape everything! I feel that social media has a role in this, because it’s the biggest form of escapism that we have nowadays. Everyone is sort of a storyteller there and everyone tell the story exactly how he/she wishes. You create a persona! You enter the lives of all the hundreds, even thousands of people that you follow every day. Celebrities or not, these people have all something that you want – from big houses, expensive cars, stylish clothes to luxurious lifestyles – and you start to feel depressed because you don’t have it and your life seems so simple and boring. But why not admitting it? Why holding this grief inside? Why pretending that you are happy and just go with your life as it is, when you can change it? You have the power now!
If your beautiful mind can create such goals, passions, stories and success, than you are just one step away to actually living and fulfilling these! Create YOUR STORY!
Feeling Empowered
I had yesterday a wonderful interview that I can’t wait to share with you and we were talking about empowerment and she said that empowerment is about embracing your current situation, accepting it, facing it and move on! Do something! Act! React! Fulfill your goals, go chase your dreams!
We have been taught that we do not deserve it! We do not deserve a great life, we can’t have it all! We must suffer, everything comes with a price, we are not good enough, not worth it, just learn to settle for a mediocre life. Right? Haven’t you heard the same? I have felt, always felt that “YES, I can be great!” I have had some amazing parents and teachers who taught me about greatness, but somewhere on the way… this seemed impossible, because no one was living that greatness, so it didn’t seem real. You have two choices now: you can settle or question absolutely everything around you and everything that you have learned!
Take The Path to Greatness
You may guess that I took the second path and started saying “No! Fuck, NO! I can be great! I can be whoever I want to be and nothing can stop me!”
Escapism is in our nature, we will always grow because of escapism, enrich our lives and experience because of escapism, but don’t make from this a lifestyle, a way to ignore all the problems, all the bad situations and drown in your existential sorrow when you sip a cocktail on a beach in Thailand.
If your beautiful mind can create such goals, passions, stories and success, than you are just one step away to actually living and fulfilling these! Create YOUR STORY!
