Settling is comfortable. Your comfort zone is the safest place to be, but it freezes you in time. There is no growth there. You remain the same person and your curiosity will suffocate from lack of oxygen. New things give new life.
I lived with depression for years, and the worst part was the indifference to everything. It’s incredibly sad to no longer see the light in the world. I could stay in bed for days. Even my old TV shows seemed dull. Apathy to the things you used to love drains the joy from everything around you. The way out of that depression, for me, was to spark new joy. I had to take action.
I had to fall in love with living again.
If you’re struggling with the status quo and the confines of boring routines, set new goals. Find something you want to accomplish and dive right in. I believe we should all have a growth mindset. We should aim to make ourselves a little better every day. Overthinking it will cause you to freeze up. Don’t let the how, paralyze you. All you need to worry about is that first step. Find that first thing you need, just to get the ball rolling. The rest will work itself out.
However, as a child, you don’t learn to run first. You learn to stand, then take a step, then another and another until you are walking. The forward movement and drive for your destination builds momentum until you are finally running. It’s never a straight line, and you may fall a few times. But the wind in your hair and exhilaration of feeling like you can fly is so worth it
You cannot stand in the same place and expect to be amazed anew. Stagnation is the silent killer. I know, it’s scary to put yourself out there. I know fear can be a bully—feeding you every reason change could ruin you. Listen to it as you would a child trying to get out of eating their vegetables. Let them know you understand their hesitation, but it’s good for them.
Mary Oliver said, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
You only get one. You don’t know when it will end, so those excuses of tomorrow’s and someday’s won’t cut it. Whether you’re young or old, you only have today. You only have the now. Do something worthwhile with it. That looks different for everyone, but it all includes action.
Remember, you could be a pond, or you could be a river. The difference is movement and having somewhere you want to go.
