Have you ever been in the middle of having a perfectly normal day, when suddenly you’re interrupted by the familiar sound of your phone. Instead of finding another zodiac meme on the screen, you’re caught completely off guard by a long message written from the depths of someone’s heart. Powerful words you didn’t know you needed to hear.

Something inside you stirs…. dormant feelings and emotions that have been swept under the rug for too long suddenly rise to the surface… your soul possesses your fingertips as you reply… 

“The reality of what you wrote makes my stomach sink. It brings to light the feelings of shame tied to the blankets of comfort and complacency we hide beneath every day.

We might feel a breeze of inspiration from time to time that moves us closer to new seas…. but when the wild winds of passion remind us that they come with risk and uncertainty, we start sailing towards the same predictable routine and habits that we know will keep us safe.

The soldiers that guard our minds whisper to us that this is okay. They’ve been trained by the schools, the media, and even our parents to tell us that there’s nothing wrong with following the traditional paths of society for the sake of fitting in. We pretend we agree and suffer in silence because it’s easier than initiating a battle between those soldiers and the warriors that are waiting to escape our hearts and fight for our truth.

We long for the rewards of a purposeful life, but dread the journey of getting there. So we stand in the grounds of comfort and avoid crossing the river of our dreams at all costs. We’re terrified of the “river monsters” disguised as failure, uncertainty, and judgment. Frozen in fear, we stay where we are, even though freedom and fulfillment await on the other side. Safety continues to prevail, but our warriors would be victorious if we only gave them a chance to fight.

In choosing convenience, we sabotage our happiness and create a void in our souls that can only be filled through the constant expression and pursuit of our passions. Instead, we convince ourselves it can be filled with temporary pleasures, like a fun outing on the weekend, or a nice bottle of Cabernet with dinner. 

The courage and the will to change seem more and more out of reach as the unforgiving hands of time race to your last days.

Awakening to this uncomfortable truth is the first step in knowing you are meant for so much more. The uneasiness in the pit of your stomach upon hearing these words is your refusal to settle for a life that isn’t true to who you are. Your hunger for meaning will devour every obstacle that stands in the way.

Lay your worries and doubts to rest with every sunset, for every sunrise carries with it the gift of opportunity and the brink of a new beginning. God is never too early and He is never too late. Don’t ever forget – you were created by the creator to create.”