"There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." -- Nelson Mandela
I may only be 20 years old, but if there's one thing that I've learned so far in life, it's to never settle. I know we've all heard it a million times, but life truly is too short. The moment we let ourselves settle, in all aspects of our life, we begin to get sucked into a life of mediocrity, losing our passions and, most importantly, the potential that exists within us along the way. Life seems to be a constant battle between staying in our comfort zones and daring to step out into the unknown. I urge you to take the leap into the unknown, to follow your happiness, and to leave behind the things that may comfort you but also leave you with little satisfaction. Don't limit yourself. Rid your life of the boundaries that hold you back from living.
Never settle for a career where your passions can’t be invested. Where you invest yourself and your passions, you will find your joy. Don’t sacrifice your happiness for a job or career path that pays the extra dollar but leaves you feeling empty. Or for a job that’s easy or convenient but leaves you questioning your worth. You’ll surprise yourself when you learn to work hard and strive for that job that you truly want, and you'll thank yourself for it when going to work finally feels rewarding. Go the extra mile to search for your happiness, no matter how hard or impossible it may seem, because it's there waiting for you. You just have to be willing to find it.
"If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life."
Never settle for a love bred out of convenience rather than passion. Why is it that we often feel the need to stay in a relationship because we get comfortable? We get stuck in the same routine, with the same person, and we begin to feel trapped, but for some reason we can't find the strength to pull the plug. The fear of being alone begins to paralyze us and leaves us thinking that an "ehh" relationship sounds a lot better than being alone. I'm here to tell you how extremely false that line of thinking is.
Being "alone" will leave you feeling far more fulfilled, far more sure of yourself, and far happier than any mediocre relationship could ever do for you. Learn to be alone, force yourself to be alone if you have to -- you will thank yourself for it later. Fall in love with yourself before you fall in love with the wrong person.
Strive for the kind of love that inspires you, that completes you -- not the kind of love that feels more like a safety net and leaves you feeling drained. I may not have found this kind of love yet, but I've learned how to be alone, and I've discovered who I am, my passions, and my desires. Therefore, I know that when I find that love, my heart will be more than ready.
“Know yourself, know your worth.” –
the one and only Aubrey Drake Graham
Never settle for an ordinary life. We have one life to live. Why not make it extraordinary?
Do the things you desire to do; make sh*t happen! As cliched as it sounds, ask yourself, "Will I be able to say I lived my life to its complete and utter fullness?" Will I be able to say, "I did everything I dreamed of and more"? You may not be able to check off every item from your bucket list, because, hey, life does get in the way sometimes. But at least you'll be able to say you tried, that you gave it your all.
After making the decision to quit my job and move to Spain to travel Europe for three months (emptying my bank account along the way), I've definitely felt outside of my comfort zone. But I found absolute beauty in vulnerability and in change. Finally forcing myself to do exactly what my heart was begging me to do was the greatest gift I could ever give to myself. Letting go of the things that held me back from living my life exactly the way I always promised myself I would is the most freeing feeling I’ve ever experienced, and it's a feeling I believe everybody should experience.
"You ruin your life by tolerating it. At the end of the day you should be excited to be alive. When you settle for anything less than what you innately desire, you destroy the possibility that lives inside of you, and in that way you cheat both yourself and the world of your potential"
-- Bianca Sparacino
