Too Big for This Life

WARNING THIS ARTICLE WILL CHALLENGE YOU TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF YOUR LIFE. TO SEE LIFE THROUGH A DIFFERENT VIEW. DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT TO STAY THE SAME.

Imagine with me a small Cape Cod cottage in the countryside taken straight out of one of those Better Homes and Gardens. When you walk into the cottage you notice how small everything seemed. In the living room there was a huge couch. It seemed so out of place. You can hardly imagine how anyone lived there could have gotten the couch into house. You look into the kitchen you see a big man sitting at his very small dining table. Drinking from a tiny cup of coffee. If this man was to stand up his head would go through the ceiling. From the image I just described, you are probably wondering how could someone live like this. This house is too small for such a big and tall man. How can he possibly be comfortable? At first sight of the man in the kitchen, it's almost laughable. However, I warn you not to be quick to judge nor laugh at the big man in the little house. For in many ways ,we are just like him. You may not be the big person living in the little house. But you are the big person living a little life. The life that you are living is too small when you are called to live a life that is meant to be abundant and overflowing. You have become comfortable living off scraps of life when you have the potential to live off the best. You let life happen to you rather than take life and live it to the max. Instead of walking by vision, you choose to walk by sight. You have become the Big Man Living the Little Life.

The reason why we settle for living the little Life is because we have become comfortable. We have created a comfort zone. What was meant to shelter us for a season we have turned around and made a permanent dwelling. When we get into a comfort zone, we feel like it is safer here than if we move forward. Moving forward requires us to change. It requires more sacrifice. More responsibility. More time. When you give into the comfort zone, you are basically saying I am settling for where I am because at least I know what to expect.

Which leads us to the main reason why we settle for the comfort zone: FEAR. The reason why we settle is we are afraid. FEAR unchecked is a powerful enemy to purpose. FEAR is a strong emotion that has the ability to paralyze us from moving forward. Fear is not bad when used the way it is intended. Fear is supposed to be our early warning system. It let's you know when you should approach with caution. Fear is defective when it paralyzes you, restricts you, and confines you. Fear becomes defective when you become a prisoner to it. This is what happens when we choose to settle for our comfort zone. We are prisoners to our fear.

There are three fears that can hinder us from getting out of our comfort zone:

1. The Fear of Rejection
2. The Fear of Failure
3. The Fear of Success

These fears have taken generations of potential to the grave. Damned many to settle with a lifetime of mediocrity. I have struggled with these three areas throughout my life. Instead of looking at them as the obstacles they were, I gave them strength by believing that they were right. Could it be that you have a groundbreaking business idea? Or an opportunity to take a better position at your job? Or even you want to help lead your family out of the recession of life into a vision that puts to back on top? However, you choke and never leave the comfort zone because you fear the rejection, possible failure, or success?

Let’s take a closer look at these fears, but before we do that. I want to give you the key that I have learned about overcoming fear of any kind: The more I know, the less I fear. I am not saying that I am fearless. I am saying that I fear less. There is a difference.

The Fear of Rejection

You are linking your success in life based on what people think. Every "what if" scenario that runs through you’re the mind is based on the acceptance of others.

What you need to know: There are two types of people in your life, and only one you actually want. There are those that are for you and those that are not. Those that can see you and those that can’t. The key is to connect with those who are for you and can see.

The problem is that we spend too much time trying to get the attention of everybody when everybody is not what we need.

When you fear rejection, you are taking it personal. Instead you need to see yourself as the valued commodity, a treasure. True treasures can sit on the shelf to the untrained eye as junk. But to someone who can see your worth, they will treat you as the treasure you are. Stop trying to make opportunities and relationships fit where they are not supposed to. This becomes a formula for abuse. Someone’s junk is someone else's treasure.

The Fear of Failure

This fear is the fear that stops many from even trying. We are conditioned from the age of children to view failure it as a negative. We never step out and try new opportunities because in our head is the voice screaming at you:

"What if you fail?"

We have to change how we see failure. Failure is not the bad result. Quitting and never starting because of a what if is worse than failing. The problem with failure is we look at failure as an identity instead of a result. You are not a failure, you failed. There is a difference. When you failed it is a result of something you did not do right. So, the key to fixing a failed result is just identifying what went wrong and not repeating it. Remember failure is a process problem, not an identity problem.

The Fear of Success

The last fear is a fear I never hear talked about. Maybe because it sounds crazy, but it is real: The Fear of Success. What happens if I make it? Can I handle the stress, the new responsibilities, the demands on my time and family? If I become successful, how will that affect my family. OMG I’m in a different tax bracket. It is easy to stay where you are because where you are you is comfortable. With the good, the bad, and the ugly. What do you do when you are on the verge of success? I believe with all the fears, but especially the fear of success, the key to getting over this is knowledge and accountability. The more you know, the less you fear. Knowledge is the easy part. Take workshops and online courses. Increase your knowledge base. The second part is accountability. Get around your next level people. The people who are doing what you are doing. The benefits are golden because:

• They are showing you what you want to become is possible.
• You can learn from their mistakes.

Don’t let FEAR make you settle into a false comfort zone. In reality, if you're going to create a comfort zone, create one that you are really comfortable in. I am not telling you to bulldoze the Cape Cod. I am encouraging you to get over the fears that are hindering you from visualizing greater. Only you can decide that you are TOO BIG FOR THIS LIFE!!!