Don’t choose the easy way out

Growing up I found myself playing every sport and getting involved in almost everything.  I played basketball, ran track, volleyball, swimming, took piano lessons, singing lessons, FCCLA, DECA, Key Club, and more.  I became good at many things.  It became a hobby to try something, become good at it and then move onto the next thing to bring on a new skill and challenge.

I realized after years and years of starting and trying something new it has completely affected who I am today.  Once I realized this, I learned something profound about myself.  I like to take the easy way out.  Sign me up! I never ever would have thought this to be true, nor that I would ever want to admit it but I have finally realized these roadblocks that have been holding me back to be exactly who I was designed and created to be.  And maybe this can open the eyes to a few or even one person, which is totally worth it.

I have grown into having all different types of skills and “building my resume” that when one thing doesn’t work out, that’s ok I can try something new.  It gives me a lot of freedom.  It’s code for not “being grounded”. 

In most of the things I do, I like relate them to an athlete.  As an athlete myself I can definitely relate. I know what it’s like to want to give up and take the easy way out when the going gets tough.  It’s also funny because when I had this revelation of myself I was reading Hebrews 12:1.  If you’ve never read the bible before, it’s a really great book with so much insight that you will learn tons about yourself and the one who created you.  It says “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

It made me think of an athlete on race day.  They have come trained with endurance and strength.  Their clothes are lightweight because they don’t want anything to slow them down.  I realized that all the different skillsets, things, opportunities, even some people can really be weights that hold me back from being my absolute best and running the farthest and fastest I can.  In the training for race day, the athlete has to make a lot of sacrifices.  They usually eat a lot better to support their optimal physical performance, they make sure they get all their running miles in each day, get adequate sleep, they sacrifice activities with friends or anything that will keep them off track of their goal; they are focused.

For myself, I noticed that to be the absolute best I can be, I can’t take the easy way out.  I have my passion with love for people in mind specifically in the area of the beauty and the health industry.  Even when times get exhausting, when I want to quit, when I want to see results fast and I don’t want to endure through preparation I will remember the strength God has put in me to endure and keep going.

Maybe you feel stuck today, unable to leave your own prison cell. Today, we live in a time and place where freedom and independence are highly fashionable. 

God’s ways are radically different than our ways. He values faithful perseverance and the willingness to deny yourself for the sake of Christ no matter how difficult the road seems.  He designed us to have purpose and to live fully in our purpose!  Lets not get caught up in taking the easy way out when the going gets tough.  Let go of anything that slows you down.  Set your goal, get focused, be excited and know that you can get through and endure through anything!  It’s so worth it!