Playing a Bigger Game

Are you stuck playing small?

Photo by Click and Boo on Unsplash

Two years ago, I was feeling stuck.

If you’ve never felt this way, it’s really hard to describe. It’s the feeling of everything being okay but not great. Of mediocre satisfaction. I felt like life wasn’t bad, it was pretty good, but there could also be a lot more.

I had the sense that I was playing a small game. In my twenties, I had pushed up against the edges of my boundaries, defied a lot of conventional norms, and felt like I was constantly pushing towards bigger things.

But as many people with life experience will tell you, life has a way of grinding against you like waves slowly destroying mountains, and if you’re not vigilant, it’s easy to get the edges worn down and start to settle.

Let me be clear — I think there’s a distinct difference between settling and finding contentment. Being content is awesome, and if you’re feeling content, then by all means, keep doing exactly what you’re doing.

But if there’s a sneaky feeling of discontent lingering, I might assert that you’re settling rather than finding contentment. The only cure for that feeling of settling is not settling.