Category: Work

Every morning I wake up to the quote above my head, painted on to my ceiling, that says “You did not wake up to be mediocre.” I think we all need little reminders to think and be bigger than the smallness that the tedium of life can force upon us at times. When I first came across the above image, it immediately resonated–and had me typing up my own version.

Wake up early.
Work hard, believe in yourself, and be ambitious.
yes you can make the world better.

Know who you are
and who matters to you;
Keep your priorities straight,
and make yourself a priority.

Clear your mind of the junk,
check your emotions for sanity,
and keep your head up
even when you’re leagues under.

Do what you love,
love what you do,
and stop putting off starting.
You likely will never feel enough–
smart enough
strong enough
healed enough
ready enough

Something will always come up,
get in the way.
The timing might never be ‘right’
because there is never going to be a ‘right’ time,
a ‘better’ time
than now.

– C Pontrella, 2017

I have consistently heard from others the deep longing for change, growth, love–and seen no action. Fear, the desire for security, the longing for a sense of completion before continuation, the resistance of the uncomfortable or inconvenient.

Happiness requires risk taking. It’s a risk to quit your job, to travel to new places alone, to love. You might get hurt. Heck, no, you definitely will get hurt. But it’s not safer to stay at home and play it safe–in fact, that is the only path that guarantees unhappiness.

I like this picture, and having reminders in your life to take a leap, and to look for the places where you might just be holding back.

Do this: Write your own call to action. Start with the phrase “Wake up” and write your daily reminders to take risk, love deeply, live inquisitively….