It’s high time you moved on….

Thinking of what I should be doing next, I saw a quote that made me stop and say “Oh!”
It is by a very influential and famous Bishop; T.D. Jakes.

"If you’re the 'smartest' person in your circle, you’re in the wrong circle, you’ve outgrown it, and it’s time to move to the next level. It may be that people who are supposed to be contributing to you are pulling from you instead. Everybody’s making withdrawals and nobody’s making deposits. Pray about moving into places where you’ll grow and learn and be challenged again."

We all have places where this quote applies. Read it over a few times and see if you are one of those people that seem to give, give and give, but yet are not receiving. Change is never easy and most of us stay rooted in our circles, jobs, friends, sports clubs, gyms, and so on, because it’s familiar and because we just feel more important there. Every one loves to give, but it is as important to also receive.

It is great to be able to teach others and help them along their way in life; the key is that you also learn things from them. We are always learning or at least we should be. If you can think of more times where you are giving and not walking out of your circle with two or more new ideas or “ah ha” moments, then it is time to venture out and find new pastures. That doesn’t mean you have to stop being with the people you like! Just expand your circle and add in more spice!

Challenges help us to grow, to expand our awareness and our consciousness further and farther beyond. If we continue to remain “comfortable” we will never grow and we will never know just how far we can actually take our dreams and goals. This is where people become depressed or sedentary. Most people do not even realize that they have fallen into a rut.

Are there more days than not that you wake up and feel “bored”. Not really knowing what can spark your interest? Do you find that you are in a rut, driving the same places, doing the same things… are you on the hamster wheel of life?

Do your friends continually call you up for advice or to dump their problems on you? Do your friends often really care about your life, your problems or your happiness?

Here are some things that you should think about to see if you are truly learning and living up to your true potential. Keep track of your answers and at the end you will see if you are in a rut or not. These are hypothetical, so if you don’t work or are not in school, pick your best possible answer based on your life now.

Work

A: You meet up with coworkers and you are mostly the one doing the talking.

B: You find that you are hearing your coworkers but already knowing the answers to their questions. Therefore you cut them off and give your suggestions.

C: You are stimulated and interested when you talk with your coworkers. They always seem to make you think.

School

A: You are taking a course in psychology again because you are sure to pass it; you know the material inside and out.

B: You look at your options for classes and pick the ones you know that you have plenty of knowledge in; you may learn a little but you really need want to pass.

C: You choose classes based on what you don’t know anything about. You want to learn, not just go to school.

Activities

A: At the gym you find yourself going to the free weights and the treadmill. These are easy and you don’t have to ask for someone to show you how to use the other machines.

B: You learned how to use the abs cruncher and the rowing machine. You decide to stick with the ones you know about.

C: Every visit, you make a point to learn a new machine. If you know them all, you go on the internet and look up new exercises or set plans to try.

If you have answered mostly A and B to these scenarios, it is high time you move on! You need to add more variety in your life and get out of your rut.

If you answered C, you are living up to your potential. Consistently challenging yourself and trying very hard to live each day of your life, better than the last. Congratulations!

Heading out into the unknown realms of things, people and events can be rather intimidating! Keep remembering though that if you don’t, you will be stuck in middle school, so to speak. You will remain in grade 7, while people under you will continue to grow from you, but you can never grow past that grade.

Begin looking for those that have interests different than yours. If you are into making jewelry, try venturing out into a new hobby, possibly something like knitting or painting. Find something you are not good at! Find a hobby that you never even thought of trying.

If you are no longer challenged at work, look at taking some classes in different areas of your field. If you are an architect, maybe try learning classes on finance, marketing or even public speaking. Get out of your norm.

So many of us are stuck in a continuous auto-pilot; we wake up, we eat, we go to work, we go to the gym, we come home, we sit in front of the T.V., we go to bed. We are wasting away, unchallenged and bored.

It is time… to break out of your hamster wheel, find new insights, new activities, new projects and renew that zest for life!

I wrote this article for myself as well as for you. I learned something new about what I need to be doing in my own life. I was on that hamster wheel! It is extremely comfortable and for a time, it was rewarding as well. Now, I need to put a foot out of my “normal”, move on and leave behind that which does not inspire or spark my interest anymore.

It’s a great idea and exercise to make a list of those things you can identify with in this article. Maybe you can list more than I have here. Take a good look at the things you do and how much you already know within that. How many new things are you trying each week? How many new things do you think you should try each week?

Make it fun, give yourself the permission to be silly, be adventurous and start to live every day, like it is the last day you have on this earth. Namaste!

© Laura Evans 2011
Author of “A Bridge to the Other Side”
Professional Spirit Medium/Spiritual Teacher/Ordained Minister www.mediumlauraevans.com