As I reflect on 2015, many situations and realizations come to mind, but what keeps forcing its way to the forefront is the amount of people I've come across who simply are not striving for more in life. There are many people who have dreams and goals that they aren't realizing either from their own unwillingness or they simply don't know how to take the necessary steps to get where they want to be in life. Others actually don't even have any dreams and goals. I can't figure out if they stopped dreaming or never started. And many of them are perfectly okay with their state of contentment. I'm not entirely sure how this sort of thing sets into one's soul, but I got to tell you, it creeps me out a bit.

When you find yourself part of an environment that you don't particularly like, whether it's a city, a community within that city, your job, your home life or whatever, what is that thing that doesn't even allow you to consider changing it? Especially when you don't have others to answer to (e.g., spouse, young children, parent or child with special needs). Whatever that thing is, I pray that it never latches onto me.

Personally, I think that thing is a scary kind of contentment that one settles into not because they are truly content, but because they don't want to try to obtain a more satisfying life. It's not even fear that's stopping them at that point. It's also that thing where you walk around flaunting your false contentment with the most mundane things, living the same exact life over and over again day in and day out. It's that thing that makes you think you're content because you've likely never experienced anything better. It's that thing that tells you things are just fine the way they are, and you don't want or need to do anything else.

If you don't have at least one major goal in your mind that you would like to accomplish "between your dash" (before you meet your Maker), then something isn't quite working properly in the amazing being that God created. There should always be a dream, always be a goal in the inner workings of your mind, whether it's to travel the world, read twenty books this year, learn to swim, learn a second language, or finish college. Contentment just isn't an acceptable existence to those of us who do dream, who do have goals, who are always trying to reach for something higher. I think it's safe to say that even really successful people still have things they'd like to accomplish in life, big or small.

This past year has taught me to really appreciate the small things in life and not take them for granted. It's also taught me to truly appreciate and remember the blessings, as there are many. I think it's important to be thankful every day for each breath we take, good health, having family members to speak of (some people don't). We get constant daily reminders from the news, our personal lives, and the lives of others, that our tomorrows are not promised, but yet we continue to live our lives like they are. Many of us say, "Oh, I'll save some money in a few years and take that trip to Europe during my retirement." Or, "When I retire, I'll..." What's that saying, life is what happens when you're busy making plans. You can certainly make plans for well into your future, but you're not guaranteed to be here to enjoy those plans. There is too much happening in this world, so if you can take the trip you've always wanted, move some place you've always wanted, make the career change you've always wanted, etc., then the time to do it is probably now. Our lives can change in an instant. I remember a speaker talking at the Printer's Row Lit Fest in Chicago a few years ago, and she heard an ambulance's siren while she was speaking. She paused briefly and said, "Well, someone's life just changed." It's something we don't generally think about when we hear sirens from a police car, ambulance or fire truck, but whenever I hear a siren today, I often think of her words and try to say a quick prayer.

Sometimes, the things you really want to do in life won't make others happy, so you don't do them. If other significant family responsibilities aren't preventing you from fulfilling your heart's desires, maybe it's time to choose your own happiness while you are still physically and mentally able to do so. But if you have a spouse who has similar long-term goals, or is willing to help you to achieve your goals and realize your dreams, then you are in a better position than most. Take advantage of it.

One of the greatest lessons I also learned this year is that your overall environment becomes even more critical to your well-being as you get older. Sometimes people don't realize that their environment is affecting them negatively because they are so accustomed to it and have never experienced a different one. This is sad on so many levels and can also be attributed to the many issues we see in poverty-stricken communities across the country. But that's another blog post for another day. Other people have experienced a variety of different environments and can quickly recognize when their newfound environment is seriously lacking what they need to thrive and survive in life.

In order to live a life with no regrets, when your dreams and goals are knocking on the door, you can't keep pushing them away or your time may just run out. At some point, you have to answer the door with a vigorous, eager response.

Langston Hughes' poem, Dream Deferred, says it best:

What happens to a dream deferred? 　　Does it dry up 　　Like a raisin in the sun? 　　Or fester like a sore-- 　　And then run? 　　Does it stink like rotten meat? 　　Or crust and sugar over-- 　　like a syrupy sweet? 　　Maybe it just sags 　　like a heavy load. Or does it explode?

#dreams #goals #living #God #contentment #Chicago #PrintersRowLitFest