You get stuck in this rotation of your life, feeling like nothing is moving forward and you ask yourself, “Is this it?”
Go to work, go home, do your household duties, go to bed, go to work, wait for the weekend, do enjoyable but pointless things over the weekend, go back to work and so on and so forth, a continuing cycle.
I’m one of those who currently finds myself questioning that there has to be more than that.
Life can’t possibly be about just living month-to-month, waiting for a pay-cheque, paying the bills and waiting for the next pay-cheque… seriously?
I found out that there is a whole lot more to life (obviously), but the problem with wanting to move forward and trying your hand at something new, is to take the first step, which is to get out of your comfort zone.
We always have these amazing plans to do this and to try that, but that’s where they always stay, plans and dreams.
Mainly due to the fact that converting a dream to reality costs a grand or 20, which no one is willing to risk, to be honest.
We’re in this little bubble they call a comfort zone and, although we desperately want to break free of this bubble, the fear of the unknown renders even the mightiest man frozen in his tracks and retreating back to the bubble safe haven.
So, I did what any sane, normal person would do and Googled my problems when an epiphany struck (thank you Google).
An article written by one Steven Aitchison on the reasons that stop you from moving forward, hit home some hard truths.
Waiting for the right time…
I think we can all relate to this when we say, ‘One day’.
It’s always some or other excuse about why we can’t do something now.
So in the well-known words of whoever came up with it, turn one day into day one.
Aitchison had an interesting take on staying in a comfort zone, stating that if you only do things you are comfortable doing, you may just stop growing mentally, emotionally and intellectually.
This hit me like a wet fish in the face.
How did I not see this before?
We become, quite literally, boring human beings in a comfort zone.
You talk about things you know and probably have talked about before, you do things you always do and you become predictable.
This is where I am at right now and I think that this, most of all, inspired me to take action and take that first step out of my bubble.
The next thing I took to heart was when he said, “Stop saying, ‘I can’t.’.”
Yet again, bang, mind blown.
I am probably one of the most pessimistic people this side of the East Rand.
I constantly tell myself that I can’t do this and I can’t do that and more often than not, I will most likely fail when attempting something I haven’t done before.
So, apparently it takes Google and a man I’ve never heard of to make me believe that I can and I will. Go figure.
Each to his own, right? I suppose every person has their own source of inspiration.
Moving on. Getting your life out of a monotonous sphere of changeless duty, is not an easy task, but going for the quick fix is not the answer.
In Aitchison’s words, “Going for the quick fix in anything, usually doesn’t work in the long run. Anything worth doing, is worth taking the time to enjoy the journey of achieving.”
This doesn’t mean I’m going to quit playing lotto (if there’s a minuscule chance, I’ll take it), but the truth in these words isn’t something you can ignore.
There is rarely a quick fix to achieving your dream, but working hard and pushing through the biggest of challenges will do just that.
Giving up is something, as of day one, that should no longer be in your vocabulary.
As soon as you give up, say bye-bye dreams and hello little bubble-of-safety-that-keeps-me-from-enjoying-life
Move forward, take risks and if it fails, take the risk again.
Victor Kiam said, “Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.”
So, moral of the story, get a helmet or something and fall on that face until you reach your goal.
Did you know that Walt Disney, the man who brought us Mickey Mouse, was fired from his job because his editor felt he lacked imagination?
Or that J.K Rowling, the incredible woman who gave us the magical world of Harry Potter, was a single mother living off welfare when she began writing the first book in the series?
When things seems most dismal and it feels like there is no way out, always remember that when you hit rock bottom, the only other way is up, but you have to push hard for take-off.
While you’re busy reaching that dream, make sure to realise what you already have and enjoy the little things in life.
Such as puppies and ice cream.
And chocolate brownies.
Dream big, expect big things and reap big rewards.
