Just the other week, I was browsing the internet at home looking for other jobs; I do this from time to time, just to see what’s out there. As I was browsing; I began to look within the area in which I am already residing. A couple of things stood out, but really not worth the time of me updating a resume and references, as I closed out from looking there – It dawned on me; Why are you looking for a job where you’re already at, when you can do and have so much more?….I guess I really never thought of it that way!

I always play the safe route when it comes to jobs because if I can be honest, I have become really comfortable with where I am at; I’ve built relationships and networks, people either know me or of me and it’ll be easier to transition within my circle and plus I know the systems and don’t have to worry about learning anything extra or new; even though this isn’t the dream job I’ve always desired or my passion – I find it easier just swimming around in the same pond because I’m either unmotivated or lazy to go after what I really want because it will involve me to CHANGE!

How many times do we swim around within the same small pond, doing the exact same thing as everyone else and going on about life wishing and hoping to jump over into the bigger pond of opportunity but too afraid to let go of what you’ve felt like you have built. The small pond makes us think about the bills, our age, our limitations, past experiences or simply not having a degree; these issues keep us bound within the small pond – which makes us not willing to take a chance in a bigger arena.

The bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7 – For God has not given us the spirit of FEAR, but of POWER, LOVE & a SOUND MIND! So that means that if we’re living, walking and believing in Christ – although we might hesitate, FEAR should not be a part of our thought processes especially if we are to move from the small pond into the deep.

As I clicked off the website within my area, I begin to put in names for jobs that I really would love to have – the wave of excitement that came over me, just by looking through all the prospects was overwhelming; call it crazy but a sense of JOY & PEACE rushed through my body like an electric force. Wow! I thought to myself, if I got that pumped up just by looking at the prospect of something; it’s amazing how or what I would do if I actually tested the waters and applied.

The only thing that stops us from moving forward is ourselves; no one’s holding us hostage, no one’s got us tied up and no one is controlling our mind; If we could really have an out of body experience with ourselves and spend a day just watching our own actions, thought processes, motives and the people we hang out with (because that plays a big part in our moving forward as well); What notes would you take, what wrong thought patterns would you try to correct about yourself, who would the real culprit be in holding you back; take out a mirror and look into it, who do you see?…..Because the only person I see holding you back is YOU!

If you’re in the small pond because you feel and/or think you won’t obtain success if you move forward, then listen; while most people view success as a “materialized” word – true success is looking back over your life and seeing that you had the courage to take the necessary steps to get out of the small pond and jump over into the big sea; do you know how many people have stayed within their small pond, all because they were too afraid to TRY?!?

So what’s keeping you stuck in your own small pond today?; maybe it’s a relationship and you’re staying in it because you feel you can’t either do any better or you’ve invested so much time into it; until you don’t have the energy or the strength to jump elsewhere.  Maybe your small pond is a job – no matter how much you do, how much you sacrifice and how much of yourself you put to the side to get the job done; you seem to never get promoted or recognized for your efforts, you’re afraid to leave because you’ve invested so much time perfecting the job until you’ve lost focus on taking those talents elsewhere to another job that will  not only recognize your efforts but promote you as well.

Whatever “your” small pond might be from this point forward – begin to realize your potential, realize your greatness and invest in your worth because life is way too short to stay stuck in the small pond of life.