DO NOT SETTLE

We all have things that we are not happy with in our lives but the question is what are we doing to change them? I think a lot of times we find ourselves just fantasizing and wishing. Wishing we had this kind of life, body, friends, partner, job etc. But most of us always end with the wishing part, we imagine what life would be like if we had the things that we desire, then sit back and do nothing to change our situations.

How many times have you heard people complain about their bodies? We moan about not having anything to wear, our clothes don't fit anymore, we don't like what we see in the mirror but speak of exercise or eating healthy and we become offended. I am one of those people, for the longest time now, I haven't liked what I see in the mirror when I undress but I come to work daily and eat junk and wake up in the morning and complain that I am gaining weight.

It is not just with our bodies that we act so passively, we do it with every aspect of our lives. We working jobs that we hate, sleep with partners we no longer love and respect, we go through life on cruise control mode, merely surviving and convincing ourselves that it is enough. We have somewhat managed to make it okay to settle, to aim so low that nothing shocks or disappoints us anymore. We wake up to the same routine, day in and day out and we smile through it and pat ourselves on the back for "stomaching" the things in our lives that we don't like, the things that do not serve us anymore.

Suddenly being ambitious is wrong because you are asked to tone it down a bit, you should blend in so that the people around you remain comfortable. Then there are the negative voices surrounding us that we pay attention to, the voices that tell us we cant, we are being unrealistic and that we need to slow down. Then we start to doubt ourselves and believe what the critics say, so we put our dreams on hold and believe that we should be happy with what we currently have even if it is not what we want.

They tell you, you are big-boned and you will never lose weight, so you believe them and continue to eat your junk. They remind you of the many people who are unemployed in the country, so you should be thankful for the job that you have even though, nothing in you wants to do that job. We shut the voices within and give preference to the voices of the world, the same voices that aim to hold us back, that aim to keep us where we are currently.

Wanting better has nothing to do with being ungrateful, there is nothing wrong with wanting better for your life. There is nothing wrong with wanting a slimmer body, a better job, a bigger house, a healthier life..........the trick lies in not wishing for better but waking up everyday and taking active steps towards giving ourselves the life that we want. It is being determined to shut the voices of the world out, to be okay with not settling for average and to wake up daily with the commitment to work to change your life to make it what you want it to be. To finally live within the parameters that God set for you.