Promise Me You Will Never Settle

I’ve been seeing many of my peers settling lately.

The jobs/relationships they’re in don’t make them happy, don’t make them better people, and even go so far as to make them complain about their lives.  I’m not saying there’s any such thing as “perfect”, but I am saying that there is something pretty darn close to it, and everyone has a choice to have it or not.  I see a lot of people settling because this world is accustomed to it.  And they’d rather settle for anything just so say that they can say they have something instead of nothing.

But here’s the thing – you should never settle for mediocre.  It’s the road to cheating yourself.  Settling is tolerating and shrugging your shoulders while saying “I guess this is the best I’ll ever deserve.”  Settling is merely existing, because living would make split ends.

Settling is also about perspective.  Can you look at the man or woman you’re with and honestly say “I can’t imagine being with anyone else. Even though the world might tell me that I can find someone better, I don’t believe I can.  And I choose him/her.”?  Can you think about your job and say “Yes, I look forward to the days I’m scheduled because I love what I do”?  Can you look around at your home, your bedroom, your bathroom and say “Yes, I love it and this is exactly how I want it to be decorated, etc”?  See, it’s a matter of perspective.  It’s opening your eyes, weighing your heart and your feelings with what your brain knows and understands and seeing if they match up.  Feelings are feelings and will always be flimsy.  They can change in the whisper of a breeze.  But knowing, having a firm knowledge in a truth that may not be tangible, but can be experienced; now that is something you can base your decisions on.

A funny thing about settling is that it doesn’t feel bad – which is why so many people do just that.  Most of the time it’s pretty darn comfortable.  People settle into okay jobs, okay homes, okay relationships because hey, that’s what fell into their lap, landed in their path, was available at the moment or what have you so, they took it.  They settled.  They thought “Well, this is probably meant to be mine because it’s right here in front of me.”  And you know what?  That’s fine.  An okay life pays the bills, keeps you warm and fed, keeps you moderately happy.  Cool.  But where’s the living in that?  Where’s the passion?  Where’s the memory-making?  The moments of unforgettable, extreme times of hair-raising suspense and challenging obstacle courses that end in a thrilling adventure?

You should never settle for less than your soul deserves.  Whether that be in your job, your friends, your finances, your relationships.  You keep your standards high, your work ethic strong, and you make friends with whoever you find along that path to passion and greatness because I promise you, it will be worth it in the end.

What you want exists.  There is nothing new under the sun.  It’s just gonna take effort and hard work and a heap of patience to get it.  But you can.

Now promise me something?

You’ll never settle.

Ten years from now, will you be able to look back and say that you chose your life or that you settled for it?

Don’t settle, darling.  The world is already too full of mediocrity.  Stand out and be different.  Be the person everyone wonders how they can become more like.

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