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I do not know how many people understand or have heard the new word, softlife, which is trending. It refers to a lifestyle that prioritizes ease, comfort, emotional well-being and minimal stress over chronic over-work and hustle culture.
It also involves having a peaceful life. It is a GenZ coinage that describes their desire to be in their comfort zone with no worries.
While growing up, parents and guardians drummed into our ears that hard work is the key to success. They were right in their assumption, but this generation has a different opinion. Our parents said back then that no lazy man or woman makes a happy home. They harped on hard-work, and it truly pays. No hardworking fellow ever failed. No one skilled in business and in the corporate world failed. Hard working students will always top their classes.
Unlike most of today’s children who are creating wealth from their youth, having a softlife is their primary goal and motivation. When a 19-20 years old undergraduate can make millions of Naira within days through the various internet and social media breakthroughs, they will definitely have every reason to live a softlife. The softlife is a situation where this generation of children sleep as much as they like, wake up at a 5-star hotel for breakfast, then drive to a Spa or a cinema to watch movies, walk into various malls to show off expensive cars, walk around the mall in skimpy outfit and then pick some groceries on their way home. They live like men or women who have arrived. They are mostly seen at expensive eateries, shops and where it matters. They are always on the move for one event or the other. They dress to kill, wear expensive hair and jewelry etc. Nothing takes them to the open market, no way. They do not walk under the sun. They have every social media app to order every single thing they see online. Gone are the days when ladies were tried with cooking skills. No, not any more. There are different sizes of soups they would order. From 1.5 liters to 3 litres of different types of soup, stew, grills, with various choice proteins, which they store in their deep freezers. There are already hired chefs and other domestic staff, whose responsibilities are to see to the comfort of their principals from cleaning to washing and other v services. A lifestyle that is characteristically stress-free but focuses on relaxation and well-being.
Almost all the GenZs are targeting and yearning for the softlife. Truth is that the scale has fallen off the eyes of most of today’s children because with content creation, online jobs especially those good in using AI, online sales and marketing and running wealth creation classes, lifestyle has been revolutionised. Comfort is no longer in the hands of the educated, old and experienced any more. It has circulated and passed round. So many can now afford to live the softlife the way they choose because they have worked for it. Gone are the days when 9-5 was seen as the only way.
Now, the next group of this generation that loves the softlife are the entertainers. To many of them, education is almost a scam. They are quick to mention that many artistes are not properly educated, yet they are the rave of the moment. Many GenZ who have gone into the entertainment industry have not excelled, either in music, actingor other aspects. The question is as you crave for softlife, are you skilled in entertainment?. Then the major ‘softlifers; are the Yahoo boys and their babes. Then again,politician’s children are not exempted from softlife.
This present lifestyle has affected relationships between men and women. Gone are the days when men were in total control of their women. Years ago, men took their women out to entertain and make her happy. Not anymore. Ladies take themselves out to have fun and pay their bill. They can go to nightclubs, form their circle, order their expensive meals, drinks and foot the bill. Now that girls have become cash cows and paymasters as it were, they can take their men out and spoil them silly. A popular fashion designer did it during her man’s birthday. She created five cards for five different visits/picks to surprise her man. First, she informed him they had five different locations to visit. The first was a fashion shop for his favourite fashion piece, perfume of his choice, a pair of shoes, a pair of jeans trousers and finally a super lunch as the icing on the cake to celebrate her man’s birthday. These were not stories of the golden years. It is the accepted new normal and the softlife for the GenZs. Men are glad and see nothing wrong with their women spoiling them with gifts because they all need softlife. It is acceptable to all. Once have I heard of female students buying expensive electronic games for their boyfriends as a birthday gift? How birthday gifts fly among students is a story for another day. When a student gives a fellow student N200,000.00 as a birthday gift, that is a surprise to say the least.
But is this lifestyle consistent and sustainable? The softlife syndrome is the reason many young ladies, especially those who can afford it, are not keen on marital affairs. Many have frozen their eggs to fertilize it when they are ready to procreate because part of softlife is not to take rubbish from any man and his family. For the fact that money is talking, they can maintain a certain lifestyle, men can keep their rings. Their softlife is not cut-out for extra work because good mental health is important to them. Surprisingly, their men are in line with their thinking, same men who are also softlife-inclined are also willing to accept whatever comes their way from their women.
An upcoming female celebrity, who is also a content creator, once told me she spends her day. She said: “I wake up a bit late because I work and chat with my foreign partners far into the night. I have four lonely aged men who I keep company all night. Two are divorced, while the other two are in their late 70’s, still married but lonely somehow. I keep them company by dancing for them, we talk and gist on all world issues including romance which makes them laugh, then they pay me. I usually collect 25 USD per hour from each of them. In a week, I know how much in foreign currency, and then when converted to our local currency, tell me why I will not live a softlife.
When a woman is living in massive and excessive comfort, she dictates her pace, minds her business, needs her respect and controls her being. No one will ever push her around. Do not get it wrong, she is the brain and hand behind her softlife.
Ladies who are waiting on a rich married man for their softlife are the major problems. They want to live a softlife, yet cannot create anything that will yield the funds. They want to be associated with the Queen Elizabeth type of lifestyle, yet cannot make it happen.
Another young influencer who described softlife as the best thing that happened to her says ‘Wealth is there for people to enjoy, even though it is one’s choice to either flaunt it or lie low. Yes, wealth and spending have been recreated, but to softlife boys and girls should look before they leap.
