
We’re all put on this earth for a purpose. We are here to grow and go from level to level in life. The comfort zone is seductive because it’s a place that we’re all familiar with. It’s easy and you don’t have to put in as much effort. You pick the fruit that you don’t have to climb higher for. When you look around and see where you’re at, you find that picking the easily accessible berries is a crowded place. You’ve become ordinary and don’t even realize it.
It happens when your life slips into autopilot. It takes effort to turn off the program and navigate your own course. You’re an individual that doesn’t share space with the monolithic mindset. If you don’t drive the vehicle of your life it will be driven for you. We all have our guilty pleasures but you have to know the signs when the season changes and it’s time to move forward.
Here are five signs you are moving to the next level.
1.) You distance yourself from friends or associates who no longer operate on the same frequency as you.
Have you ever talked to someone or looked at friend’s content on social media and realize that it doesn’t line up with who you are anymore? Sometimes you do outgrow people and that’s not to judge or belittle anyone. Our journeys are different and it’s your responsibility to know where you’re at in your own race. It’s not for you to broadcast it to everyone either. Just pay attention to the Autumn transformation in your life. Things that you’ve once viewed as beautiful will fall and wither away. It’s ok to let them go. December leaves serve absolutely no purpose to you so let them go with that strong gust of wind. If you’re growing and maturing your friends will reflect who you are and not who you were. They should represent where you’re going and not where you’ve been.
2.) The content that you take in your ears and eyes is changing.
I remember when I came to a realization when listening to the radio while driving. It started to just be white noise in the background to me and was just on so it wasn’t silent. At one time in my life I loved what was on the radio or even listened to my own selection and playlist. Listening to the radio while driving just became lazy. I could no longer relate to what I was allowing in my ears. When I hated going to work while I was going through a divorce, hearing rappers talk about how much money they had wasn’t too inspiring to me.
My shift came when I bought my first audio download of an online business that I was studying. That was such a game changer for me. I remember being excited as I drove to work because I was listening to something that was actually useful to me. I could clearly see where I was going in my life. Listening to the radio had become mindless and monotonous. In purchasing these audio courses I felt empowered when I invested in myself. The digital downloads were the seeds to me listening to audiobooks, reading and finding my way to this prolific place of thought called Medium. This also changed some of the reality shows that I used to watch because they no longer aligned with who I am or who I was becoming.
3 .) You realize that your vote does the talking and you don’t have to waste your precious time in divisive politics conversations.
Election year. It’s a time where the energy on either sides of the aisle is very aggressive. Yes, I do believe voting is important but everything that comes along with it can be exhausting. The last four years in this country has been draining and I doubt I have to write why it’s been that way. You’re nodding your heads in sync saying, I know Walter. I know. The behavior of some people in this strange era has been erratic, rude and irrational. Sometimes it feels like people get possessed during election time. Both parties have become extreme polar opposites. I don’t mind engaging in intelligent conversations about the state of world and practical solutions that will add to making it better. I’m not interested in mudslinging, echo chambers or broken records regurgitating the same things over and over. When politics feel like it’s being discussed by toddlers with tantrums that’s when I check out. It’s low vibrational to me and I’m also not interested in your religious agenda either. Emotions are temporary but well thought out plans work better for the bigger picture. If you’ve separated yourself from this overcast of confusion and have risen up to a blue and sunny sky congratulations. Cast your vote, let your voice be heard and keep it moving.
4.) You don’t waste your day away on social media with click bait, other people’s complaints and trending gossip. You plug into your purpose.
Social media is part of our everyday lives and is here to stay. I’m not here to complain about it but I do want to find ways to use it and it not use me. It’s not easy either. When you’re bored you hear that device that’s within reach call your name so you give in, grab your phone and then start viewing, typing and swiping. I’ll speak for myself in saying that there’s been many days that the sun hasn’t even risen and I’m on my phone checking on what everyone is saying or doing. I’ve aimlessly scrolled some days where I lost a whole 24 hours just doing that. The question that I have to ask myself is what did I get out of it? Am I happier? Am I more inspired? Or am I more informed? Sometimes. Most times I’m not. When I tap into people that are like minds I get filled with good mental food when I’m being intentional. I attract who I am. To be honest I have so many other projects to do in my day so anytime I’m mindlessly scrolling I should be asking myself what are you doing? How is reading this benefitting your life? Every time I mindfully choose my content the results are so much better. There’s days that I have slept better when I contribute specific hours to my creativity and enhancement. It’s like my subconscious is proud of me. I took charge of my day and once again I didn’t put my brain on autopilot. I think the internet and social media is one of the best inventions ever created but just like many things in life it could be a double edged sword. I love to converse with people from all over the world and not be limited to my city. Nothing against them but what’s the purpose of being connected to the world wide web if I’m just reading the ordinary routine of someone who lives a mile away. Beyond that you can log on to this matrix and get lost in everyone else’s thoughts and problems. What’s your own agenda? What are your goals? What are your dreams? At the end of each day that’s all that matters. If you find yourself pausing your social media apps, working on yourself, logging on after you’ve worked on your own project you’re on the right path. You’re plugged in to your purpose my friend and you have a desire to reach much higher.
5.) You’re more discerning. You don’t fall for the quick rush of infatuation and temporary dopamine. You see the bigger picture and the long game.
Relationships. A great one can have you soaring to the highest of heights and a bad one can have you descending to the pits of hell. Well, that may have been a bit dramatic but you get the point. As you mature and you grow, hopefully you’ll understand many are in love with the idea of love, get enamored with the newness, they get sucked into the vortex of the infatuation and don’t thrive beyond the honeymoon stage.
Now that we got that out of the way you’re so tired of wishy-washy people and I am too. It’s not that people fear falling in love or close themselves off but you just get to the point where you know most will show the best representation of themselves at first. When it’s not authentically who the person is it’s hard for them to maintain the façade. A lie takes too much effort but it’s easy just being yourself (Excuse the cliché).
We all should be allowed room to change and space to grow. I’d rather be excited about your love for me once I’ve seen your consistency, dedication and action. I’m curious when I always see the same people in a revolving door of new relationships. Why? It’s because they seem to be addicted to the fresh and shiny new thing. I’ve been with some that don’t even let any grass grow under their feet before they jump into a new relationship. You have that right to pick the easy fruit so please go ahead and be my guest. When you’re enlightened you know that many are on that exciting roller coaster ride in the beginning. Why am I giving my all by talking about the future with you when I don’t even know your past and we haven’t even established our present? Banks look at credit history before approving loans because people can and will tell you anything. Early on you have to take what people say when you first meet them with a grain a salt but still live each day to the fullest.
Stay focused on your objective while using discernment. When you have the passion and longing for deeper connections that takes time, diligence and commitment. You have to climb the tree higher to achieve this. When you find someone that’s willing to devote time and effort to you it’s worth every drop of your energy and excitement.
If we’re blessed to live long in these earth suits we’ll all come to a point where we want to do better. We’ll get to a place where we want to rise up and see views and landscapes that we’ve never seen before. I live on the east coast where everything is flat but I’ve always sketched and painted mountains. One day I defied my fear, bought a round trip ticket to Seattle and not only I flew over the Cascade mountain range but when I was there I went hiking with my friend and stood on Mt. Rainier. The snowy part in the middle of June. I’m the most comfort zone person you’ll ever meet so If I did it so can you. It’s called change, progression and growth. No matter how big or small it is when you recognize the shift of a season you’ll flow with your metamorphosis. Don’t fight it. It’s been in you the whole time laying dormant. So accept the challenge and don’t ignore your desire to elevate higher.
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Previously published on medium
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Photo credit: by Hari Nandakumar on Unsplash

