Settling

Not going to do it. I refuse to settle for mediocrity in any aspect of my life.

Finances: Success doesn't come to you. No one in this world who is successful just sat around and waited for success to land on their doorstep. Even the ones who got "lucky" took action to make sure Luck could find them. I know what my talent and ambition can bring me, so I will commit my money, time, and energy to pursuing that success.

Love: I will either resign myself to embracing singlehood (TRULY embracing it, not using it as a stop-gap until my next relationship), or more preferably, I will make an effort to attract and seek the kind of man that I know a) is healthy for me and adds to my happiness, not detracts from it b) is on my level, in every way that counts c) would make me feel proud if my son desired to emulate him d) that I can commit to and is capable of committing to me. Period. No more settling for Mr. Right Now, or worse, Mr. Was Never Right. After a certain amount of time has passed that "Is this the right person for me?" feeling isn't cold feet, it's Truth telling you the answer is No.

Work: Too many people settle in their work. They get in the comfort zone of receiving a regular paycheck but the work brings them no joy, no purpose. The ultimate goal of achieving success is to not have to work FOR someone in order to survive, but instead to either do meaningful work (whatever meaningful means to you) or to perhaps not work at all if one should be so lucky! After a long talk with a close friend at my former place of employment, it became so apparent to me how your job, because you spend so much of your time there, can have a profound impact on your life. Feeling ignored, underappreciated, undervalued or just plain bored with repetitive work (ESPECIALLY while ignoring your higher calling) can manifest itself in terrible ways in your life. So, I resolve to not to settle in this area of my life and encouraged that same friend to do the same. She has the benefit of knowing her true calling--I am still trying to figure this out about myself, but the important thing is to build on your ambitions and not stay stagnant out of fear of the unknown.

Friendship: Unfortunately, even the oldest and strongest friendships can be outgrown. People are not static creatures; they grow and change and not always in the same direction. I am fortunate enough that I have only outgrown a friendship or two in my life--I am still very close to the people I've known for years, some since childhood. But there are a lot of lonely people in the world, people who want more friends or different friends. Stop settling. Get out there and meet people. Put yourself out there. A good friend of mine that I have now, I met on the Metro! We struck up such a great conversation, she invited me to get off at her stop with her and grab something to eat and a drink. Most people would have declined to dine with such a new acquaintance, but I took a chance and now have a wonderful friend that I cherish.

Life is about taking chances. Very few chances are life-threatening (unless you're totally reckless), but most chances are paradigm changing. Live your life!