Dropping Out of Society to Live the Life God Created Me For

There’s a certain normality placed on life in your 20s. Society whispers (sometimes shouts) that you should be out at the bars every weekend, collecting stories, chasing fleeting thrills, surrounding yourself with crowds, and somehow convincing yourself that all this noise equals fulfillment. For a while, I fell into that rhythm. I loved grabbing drinks, meeting new people, and pretending that I was thriving in those late-night scenes.

But one day I sat back and asked myself—how is this helping me out?

The truth is, I was never the extroverted person who fed off bar lights and empty conversations. I was trying to shape myself into something I wasn’t. Deep down, I’m a small-town kid who loves the outdoors, who comes alive exploring lakes, mountains, and dirt roads with my favorite people. That’s where my soul feels like it belongs—not on sticky bar floors, but on hiking trails, in the stillness of the woods, or out on a boat with the sun dipping low in the sky.

And I’ll say this: there’s nothing wrong with going out if that’s your joy. If that’s your thing, you’re living your best life. But don’t be a phony to the life you want. Don’t put on cowboy boots when you know New Balances are more comfortable for the road you’re walking. Don’t mold yourself into someone you’re not.

For me, the decision is simple: I just want to be an athlete and do epic things. My goal isn’t to chase happiness 24/7—it’s to explore, to test myself, to experience life in the rawest way possible.

The Temptation to Disappear

Some days, I think about deleting social media, ducking off into the woods, and building a log cabin where nobody could find me. There’s a peace in that thought. But the reality is, for the life I want to achieve right now, I need social media—because you’re reading this article because of it. That’s the trade-off.

What keeps me grounded is the small things:

• A slow morning with a black coffee in hand.

• A podcast streaming in the background while I stretch out for the day.

• The quietness of rain tapping against the window.

• The colors of leaves changing in the mountains, indescribable in their beauty.

• The reggae tunes and Birkenstocks on a summer lake day.

• The feeling of putting on a thrifted vintage Carhartt jacket from “Nothing New” in Concord on a crisp fall afternoon before heading to the local coffee shop for a mocha.

That’s me. That’s what I like. And I don’t apologize for it.

Living Without Noise

I’ve decided I’m going to be myself in the fullest version possible—and eliminate everything that doesn’t align with what I want. If people love me for it, that’s great. If they hate me for it, that’s fine too. Either way, I’m me. And more importantly, I’m a child of God, exactly as He created me.

Nature brings me a happiness that no nightclub ever could. The silence of a rainy evening feels holier than any applause. The sunrise over the lake reminds me that God paints new mercies every single morning. That’s the life I want to lean into: worshipping God, training my body, feeding my soul, and exploring everything this world has to offer.

Everything else is just noise.

What if You Stopped Faking It?

Imagine for a second what your life would be like if you didn’t fake it anymore. If you stopped trying to live the version of life that Instagram, your friends, or society told you was normal—and instead lived in alignment with what you actually desire.

The truth is, someone else out there is living the exact life you’ve been dreaming about, simply because they had the courage to take the leap of faith. They stopped pretending. They stopped waiting for permission. They stepped into the person God designed them to be.

It’s time to lose the fear. To step boldly into the life you want. To stop faking it and start living it.

As for me, I’ll keep sipping my coffee, exploring small towns, eating good food, training like an athlete, and worshipping God in the life He’s blessed me with. That’s who I am. That’s who I’ll always be.

The Goodieval Life isn’t about blending in. It’s about embracing the way God made you, dropping the noise of society, and living fully, boldly, and authentically.