Everyday we see people go through the motions. They pass through life like drones, completing mundane tasks, working jobs they hate, take part in meaningless relationships and ultimately accept mediocrity as the norm. The TSA employee at the airport, the girlfriend with the loser boyfriend, and we can't forget the telemarketer. But the question that I always have to ask is; why? Why do we settle?

Most humans are creatures of habit. We love a daily routine that we follow, not necessarily a strict regiment, but usually nothing too loose either. We like being comfortable, and that's instinct. We don't like being put into uncomfortable situations or put through difficult trials, so we tend to avoid these things by choosing the least difficult path with the least amount of resistance. By nature we do what we need to in order to survive and sometimes circumstances force us to do just that, survive. We tell ourselves at first, "It's temporary", "Oh, it's just until I get my feet under me", "I would never actually date them, they're just someone I like to talk to." We hear and see it everyday, and it's routine. Rarely do we question people's actions, and if we do we judge them and act like we don't do it or would never do the same thing ourselves.

It's easy to become comfortable. Those "temporary jobs" become 20-year occupations, those "small flings" become marriages with two kids. When you're young, you think you have all the time in the world. "I have time to travel", "I have time to go to school, I'm just going to have a few years of fun first", "I'll work this job until I have enough to be out on my own". But just as quickly as we say these things, years have passed and we wonder, "Where did the time go?". There's an overwhelmingly strong connection between comfort and time; unfortunately, it's not a positive relationship.

Life is entirely too short to fall into a routine of comfortability. Don't get me wrong, being comfortable is important, but if it causes you to settle; that's where it becomes a problem. To settle for less than what someone deserves or is capable of is truly the worst sin anyone can commit. It's our duty to continue to push ourselves, to strive for the best us, because at the end of the day, is there anything else more satisfying? Are we ever truly satisfied with what other people tell, give, or show us? Internal happiness has a direct connection with personal success, growth and gain. Now, it can be dangerous if we are self-obsessed or consumed, but it's a healthy balance along with virtually everything else. Setting goals for yourself, everyday, no matter how dumb or insignificant the task may be, will result in unmatched internal happiness if they are completed. Everyone has a memory or a time where they completed something that they never thought they would be able to, and it's usually something physically, mentally or even emotionally demanding. But what I can guarantee is this, after completing it, it felt like the best thing you had ever done. You were so happy at the end that you did it, that you pushed yourself to a place that you never thought you could go.

Next time you're met with a challenge, you will have doubt. Doubt is a natural part of life, the fear of failure. But you can't hide at home, under the covers, and hope it goes away because news flash (if you didn't know) IT DOESN'T! I challenge you. I challenge you to interview for the job that you don't think you'll get. I challenge you to talk to the girl that you've secretly liked for years and haven't said anything. I challenge you to go on that trip that you've always wanted to go on. Fear is the first cousin to comfort. If you don't take risks, if you don't go outside your comfort zone, you'll never know your full potential. In direct connection with that, if you don't know your full potential, do you fully know yourself?

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." - Marianne Williamson