Limitless Monday – To Settle or Not To Settle

Limitless Monday – To Settle or Not to Settle

How often have you heard someone talk about settling down? As if settling down is what we should all do; it’s both expected and a natural progression of life.

The fairytale story ends, “They lived happily ever after.”

However life isn’t that simple. We find a good job, a partner; then we lose our job, our relationship ends, and we have to start again.

The question I want to explore in this article is whether settling down is a worthy goal, or should we be striving for something else?

It isn’t just about settling down; it’s also about settling. Settling for what we have at a given point in time. Again, we must ask ourselves: should we ever settle or must we always be striving for bigger, better and best?

It occurred to me the other day that we spend a great deal of our existence chasing the dollar, building assets, and endeavoring to acquire the trappings of wealth.

And then when our relationship fails, we are willing to give at least fifty percent of those assets away with the stroke of an expensive Mont Blanc. It is the ultimate test of the search for happiness trumping money.

What has this got to do with settling, you may well ask. This example demonstrates how we have a natural tendency not to settle. Even if we have achieved our goals, amassed wealth, and forged success, we are always ready to forgo it to find a better alternative. We were born not to settle.

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I discovered that the hard way. I had a gorgeous wife, two beautiful children, multiple family homes, and a few million dollars in the bank, and I let it all go to pursue what I thought would be a more fulfilling path. My soon to be ex-wife called me up a few months after our separation and said, “You once told me that the grass isn’t greener on the other side.” I wasn’t so wise in those formative years…

Sometimes, when we change direction and pick a new path, it’s the wrong path. We end up in a worse relationship, perhaps estranged from our children, or even penniless struggling to pay the rent. Other times it works out.

I often think about what life would have been like if I had settled. However, I spend little time in reflection, as I know if I had settled, then I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I am pretty satisfied with the way I turned out after all the ups and downs of life. Not settling does leave some injured souls in the rear view mirror. That’s the part that will often haunt you when things are not going to plan. However, that’s the cost of not settling. I still believe that we should never settle. We should always be looking to improve ourselves and find a more fulfilling life.

If you are settling, you are stagnating. Don’t settle, keep searching. There is one caveat: don’t be too fast to change paths. There will be many temptations presented to you, most of them dead ends. Be selective.

Happy Monday!

Banner Image: Settling for the ordinary.  Image Credit – ArtisticOperations

Harry Maximillian

Harry is an author, coach, entrepreneur, comedian and a convicted felon. Harry was sent to prison for a financial crime where he spent five long years. Prison allowed Harry to realize the error of his ways. He decided to use his time productively and mobilize his extraordinary determination, dedication, drive, motivation and desire to focus on writing and the art of self-improvement. Before Harry’s enforced vacation he was one of the most prolific deal makers in the City of London.