We all have a story. It’s that narrative that we write one day at a time. It tells of our hopes and triumphs, as well as our fears and disappointments. Each day, we have a chance to add to that narrative, a chance to start a new chapter.
Conceptually, we would all like our story to be filled with one exciting section after another. Unfortunately, many people get stuck moving in the opposite direction. In their book, The Rustout Syndrome, Richard Leider and Steve Buchhoz state that “rustout” can wipe out your soul and spirit. “Rustout is the slow death that follows when we stop making choices that keep life alive. Its the feeling of numbness that comes from always taking the safe way, never accepting new challenges, continually surrendering to the day-to-day routine. Rustout means we are no longer growing, but at best, are simply maintaining. It implies that we have traded the sensation of life for the security of a paycheck…Rustout is the opposite of burnout. Burnout is overdoing, rustout is underbeing.”
Sounds like an awful way to live, doesn’t it? An awful way to exist. But how many of us get stuck. We maintain the status quo because we don’t have the energy or the passion to get out of our own self-dug ruts. It’s been said that the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth of the excavation. On that uplifting note, are there any ruts you’ve built for yourself.
Want to feel your heart start beating stronger? Want to add to your narrative with a new chapter filled with adventure and fun? Don’t just crawl out of that rut, jump out of it. Shake things up.
You can start by going out and making a difference. Stretch yourself for the better good of others or for the better good of yourself. The list is endless, you simply need to be creative and step out of your normal day-to-day routine. You don’t need unlimited time or perfect conditions to start. You simply need to start in a space where you can. A space where you can become excited and engaged.
Every single day, you have the opportunity to add to your story. Will you write, “Same stuff, different day,” or will it be an exciting new chapter?
