Are you complacent? Have you settled into a pattern of destructive habits telling yourself, “it’s not so bad, there are others worse off than me”?
This is the trap of complacency. The person falling into this snare settles for mediocrity. He is comfortable, even smug. He or she no longer pushes himself or herself because of past successes. “I’ve done well” he says to himself. “People respect me. I have a healthy bank account. I haven’t gone to the doctor for any illness for the past year. Life is good.”
That may be the case now, but consequences creep up on us much more slowly and insidiously than we realize. We don’t feel the pain of our nonchalance overnight, but the harvest of our inaction does come eventually. How did it happen? We settled. We stopped pursuing growth: character growth; intellectual growth; spiritual growth; relational growth; financial growth; emotional growth;
The end result is an ordinary life. It’s a decent life, but it lacks sustainable impact, in keeping with our gifts and abilities. The purposeful, significant, extraordinary life is within our grasp-but we cannot be complacent. We can and must push beyond the temptation to coast through life reflecting on past glory days. Be a faithful steward of the gifts given to you, add value to others and be intentional about making yourself better, starting with the inner self.
Don’t settle. Complacency kills.
This Post Has 10 Comments
This article is excellent and so true. I can relate personally. Often I don’t push myself because of kind words received by persons especially if i am doing well in a particular area. For example, someone says you have lost weight which is a good thing especially if it’s needed. I enjoy that feeling and a boost of confidence that what i am doing is working. In two weeks, I go right back because of the choices I make in the food I consume and not exercising. The schedule becomes busy and I get tired. I am grateful for this reminder because complacency does kill and often a quick death but to get back to where you once are, the work becomes even harder and can become discouraging. I heed the warning of “I am habit” so I should develop good habits and stick to them. Thank you.
Thanks Michelle for your openness in identifying where you may be tempted to be complacent. This is a temptation that probably all of us face. I have found that accountability partners are very helpful on the personal growth journey so please tap into those relationships that will call you higher.
Thanks for the reminder Tyrone. I hate mediocrity and complacency, yet i have seen it creep into my own character. I want to dream again and believe again for my own personal development. Looking forward to the nuggets of wisdom you’ll provide on this forum and the path ultimately that the Lord will lead me through.
Hey Richard, I really like your re-commitment to dreaming again and having an optimistic outlook on your future. That’s a big part of the battle already won right there. One of the keys to overcoming complacency is to be aware of what it looks like in your life. Additionally, keep in mind that it is often after experiencing some degree of success when we are tempted to settle. Vigilant self-awareness will help us all on this exciting journey of personal growth.
Complacency..ouch. Thanks for this, Tyrone. I feel like as I get older and accomplish certain goals I had for myself I am tempted to think “whew, I can relax now!” But I realize that should not be. So for me, as I get older I’m wondering “OK, what next?” Not only that but I feel like it is harder to muster the will and energy to pursue new goals so it requires more effort. I am realizing that my “what next” question is something I need to pray about.
A life of continued excellence is a challenge its so easy to settle but in Christ all things are possible . Thanks for the reminder TM
Hi Janelle, thanks for your honesty. You are not alone. It is natural for us to seek after comfort and relaxation, which do have their place in our holistic development. However, staying on the path of continuous improvement takes a deliberate focus, which can, sometimes, be harder as we get older. This is what makes the growth process exciting! We get to move out of what is comfortable and take on new challenges. When we look back, we say “I’m glad I pushed through.” Stay the course Janelle. Your best is yet to come!
Hey Chad, you’re so right in saying that a life of excellence is challenging. Leadership expert John Maxwell put it well when he said that “Everything worthwhile in life is uphill.” Pursuing excellence is worth it and your spiritual beliefs will go a far way in providing that extra strength when the going gets tough.
Thanks for the timely thoughts, Tyrone. I think for me I am on that journey into the inner self and trying to figure out what the next phase of my life should look like. You see, I just turned 40 this past August and I believe that I am in the middle of what is called the mid-life transition. It is a disorienting time as I often feel like you I don’t know where to go next, especially in the area of my career. The temptation is indeed to become complacent, believing that the knowledge and experience already gained should be enough to take me through the times are head. But things are changing so rapidly that your challenge to remain committed to learning and personal growth is the only sensible choice. But oftentimes the mind is fully aware of what needs to be done but the body is weak.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Almando. Life transitions can truly be a challenging time for us, especially because of the uncertainty that the future can bring. Yet, while we have no control over the future, we can surely decide what we will do in the present. The choice to keep growing no matter what tomorrow may bring is a prudent option because it sets us up for the inner strengthening of our character. That has great value, possibly even more than whatever future career you may select.