Hey, Welcome to the podcast.
I had a realization this week as I was planning out some upcoming projects.
I realized that I’ve been inwardly fighting with myself to stay comfortable. I noticed this come up for me as I was planning a group experience for later this year.
I got thinking about the logistics, the people I wanted to call into the space, and what it would take to bring all the pieces together.
It pretty much got me stuck.
I was looking at all the details and I started to feel a tightening sensation in my chest as I pieced everything together. It was feeling like it would take a lot of extra energy for me to do this, in addition to what I’m already committed to.
So I took a pause and stepped away from planning.
The timing was really divine, because I had to be somewhere, so I headed out into the cold, sunny day and got in my car.
As I drove to my appointment, I left the music off. I didn’t listen to a podcast. I simply drove, alone with my thoughts.
Stepping away from my workspace brings everything into a clearer perspective. As I drove, I hadn’t set an agenda to think through how I would work out all the details I had just been working on.
I simply noticed the snow-covered trees glistening in the sunshine and the wispy clouds on the horizon as I navigated the quiet streets.
And as almost always happens, I had a feeling of peace come over me. A deep knowing that it would all work out and that I was headed in the direction that I’m meant to.
As I relaxed my shoulders and had that realization come over me, it became clear to me that I was avoiding the discomfort because of the ease of the familiar. It would feel better and be easier to keep the status quo and not strive for more growth.
But then I thought about how I would feel a year from now if I didn’t make the changes I had in mind.
I would feel stagnant. Like I settled.
And that’s not how I want to feel.
I’ve been super comfortable with the state of my life and various times and it feels good for a while, but then I get that tap on my shoulder from the part of me that knows I can reach for more and in doing so, serve more people.
Suddenly being comfortable doesn’t feel so good.
I truly believe that we’re meant to grow in stages and just like the seasons change around us the seasons in our personal and professional lives change as well.
We weren’t designed to stay exactly the same. If that were the case, aging wouldn’t happen and wisdom wouldn’t exist.
Can you imagine going through the rest of your life knowing everything you’ll ever know and being finished with learning and growing?
Yeah - at times I need a break from new information to enjoy the fruits of my labour, but there’s something about the new and fresh.
It keeps us from getting bored and more importantly, if we’re thinking about a bigger dream for our lives that positively impacts other people as well, connecting us to the people around us that we were meant to do life with.
So if you’re feeling stagnant, but you hesitate because growth and change will be uncomfortable, remember that staying the same can begin to feel uncomfortable after a while as well.
While striving for more can challenge you in a big way, I invite you to join me in fighting for your dreams - not your comforts. You can rest in intervals as you go, and you’ll feel your life take on a greater level of your purpose that will leave you feeling incredibly filled up.
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Thanks so much for listening. Have a wonderful day!
Big Blessings.