When Giving Up Sounds Good

The Truth is There are Days I Wish I Never Pursued a Personal Growth Path.

Last week, I reconnected with a former colleague from my old radio career. He acknowledged feeling like a "corporate puppet" who was running on the hamster wheel at his job.


For him though, the dissatisfaction wasn't that big of a deal. He said he was content to cash those upper management checks and feel a sense of security, even if it meant feeling bored and uninspired.


For a few minutes, I felt envious of him. 


I can't lie, there is a part of me that misses the certainty of knowing exactly how much money I will make each month. There are times I miss planning super elaborate vacations with my girlfriend, knowing that a bonus is coming at the end of the year and my savings account will be robust. A part of me misses naively thinking that working 50 hours a week in a job that doesn't inspire me is just part of "adulting."


There are days I wish I still believed living my purpose was "new age nonsense."  Sometimes, I feel it would be easier to keep thinking what really mattered was climbing the corporate ladder and expecting happiness to finally come when I get the next promotion and pay raise.


But I realize the voice telling me to go back is just my ego. It's the part of my brain that wants me to seek but never find. When I get still, meditate, and connect to my higher wisdom, I realize giving up would only deny me the gift of growing into the man I need to become in order to live my purpose. 


Once you have an awakening, you can't go back to sleep. When you feel pulled to do something greater in your life, you can't continue to play small and feel lasting fulfillment. You can't put the car in reverse and expect to move forward. Likewise, you can't move the ball down the field by throwing it laterally.


The only way to really advance in life is to step out of your comfort zone and venture into the unknown.

But why is it so difficult?


There's a laundry list of reasons. Security lives in the comfort zone. Our friends and family are in the comfort zone. The approval of other people has planted a flag in the comfort zone. The significance we get from our job titles, the car we drive, and how great our lives look on social media all live in the comfort zone.


All of those things are seductive and hard to let go of.


However, if you feel called to play a bigger game, if you have a gift that could make an impact, if you want to grow beyond where you are right now... you must step out of the comfort zone.


All that is required are two things... courage and clarity.  


Sadly, most of us believe we need clarity before we can find courage. If we make a change to live our purpose, we want to be 100% certain things will work on our specific timeline, in the exact way we want, and that we're guaranteed to not experience pain along the way.


That's not how the Universe works, friend.


Our journey must begin with courage. We need to hear our inner critic, feel the tightness in the chest and the nervousness in the stomach... then move forward anyways. We must build the spiritual muscle to push beyond fear.


If you've ever gone to the gym, you know how this process works. On a bench press, physical muscles aren't built during the first 8 reps. They're built when our arms are tired and we push through the resistance of the weights crashing back down towards our chest. The old muscles are shredded so they can grow back bigger and stronger.


The same holds true for spiritual muscle. The resistance will come in the form of fear. The "weight" is the heaviness of your self-doubt, other people's expectations, and the stories you've told yourself about why now isn't the right time to take action. 


Push through anyways.


When you do, The Universe will meet you halfway. Think of it as the personal trainer who is spotting you at the gym. When it sees that you need help, it will be there to pull the weight up and keep you safe. 


When we act with courage, we will begin to find clarity. The right people will come into our life, new doors will open, new opportunities will present themselves. 


The only thing standing in the way is you.