One Day Too Many
There is the first time you think maybe you should move on. Then you talk yourself out of it. A little time passes, something happens and you think that thought again - maybe this needs to be over. The voice in your head convinces you it’s easier to stay the same, even if you’re miserable. You maintain the status quo and promise yourself you’ll try harder. Of course, another issue crops up and that niggling thought rears its head again. You really start to wonder if maybe it’s time to make a change. You shrug it off - there are so many boulders on the path to something different. Again an event and that thought sneaks in, but you can’t figure out how to make the logistics work or find the energy to take any action. You make more excuses and decide to ride it out at least a little longer. Over and over and over. Days, weeks, and years go by.
Until one day you open your eyes and see what’s right in front of you. Fed up and absolutely exhausted, you realize that if you are not changing it, you’re choosing it. No one is coming to rescue you. You are going to have to be your own hero. You have existed in this state way too long, but you don’t want to stay here - not even one more day.
Maybe it’s a relationship that isn’t working any more - a friendship you’ve outgrown, a partner who doesn’t treat you right, or a toxic family member that won’t respect your boundaries. It could be a job or volunteer gig that you are only tolerating - no fulfillment, poor leadership, or crazy politics. Possibly it’s an environmental issue that’s dragging you down - living in a space that’s the wrong fit for your family, a terribly long commute to the office, or the overwhelm of clutter. Perhaps you have a scheduling challenge that’s driving you bonkers - you’ve overcommitted, hate to ask for help or your priorities are misaligned with your values. It could even be a mindset problem that has you spinning your wheels - playing the victim or the martyr, thinking in terms of scarcity rather than abundance, or being addicted to drama instead of seeking peace.
Once you know, you can’t unknow. Sometimes we find a legit reason to wait a bit, but there really is no magic in waiting for three more paychecks, your next birthday, until after the holidays, or for your kids to age out. Resentment only grows and the denial of your personal truth eats away at you - until you find yourself forced take positive action to relieve the unnecessary continued trauma. Working up the nerve to jump can be fraught with uncertainty. Change can be scary, but being somewhere you don’t want to be is an avoidable tragedy - if you chose to act with courage.
When you decide you are finally over it, when you give yourself permission to live your best life, when you realize the pain of being trapped is greater than the fear of moving forward - that is when the beautiful journey begins. Instead of going no where fast, you can release yourself to take bold action toward a different outcome. Instead of sitting in your fixed mindset, the possibilities for joy and peace grow exponentially with each baby step you take. Use the pain you’ve felt as fuel for propelling yourself forward. Harness that pent up frustration and aim it at the next rung on that ladder, leveling up and out of what is holding you back. The power is already inside you. Wake up your internal warrior and take your story back, one beautiful empowering choice at a time. Don’t put your next chapter off by making more excuses. You’ve been in this undesirable situation far too long already. Chose you this time, by choosing not to stay stuck. Even one more day would be one too many.