We all say, "life is too short," "take the risk," "get out of your comfort zone," "you only live once," right?

These mottos seem so easy to live by, especially when we're inspired. But what happens when we're not inspired? What happens when life gets so complicated and busy that we don't have time to take a risk, let alone take a break?

Wake up, go to work, get lunch and sit on your phone until you have to go back to work, go home, turn on Netflix while eating dinner, go to sleep, wake up, repeat.

Anything outside of your routine seems like an obligation. "Oh, I have to go to the grocery store," "My friend wants to meet up and get coffee before work, but I don't have the time," or, "I would volunteer, but my day is just so busy."

I think we can all attest to this. We are creatures of habit which can be great for time management and productivity; however, it can also be a pitfall.

It becomes a pitfall when we see anything outside of our routine as an obligation instead of an opportunity.

As a junior in college, I lived about half of my college career in this mindset. I had class, practice, lifting, homework, rehab with the athletic trainers, and just enough time to watch five episodes of my favorite show. Anything outside of this routine, whether it was reading a book someone referred me to or being there for a friend, it all seemed like an obligation.

However, recently, I have really reflected more on how I have been living life in the past few years and came to the conclusion that I was living the bare minimum. I was doing just enough to "get by." I was surviving, not thriving, by choice. What kind of life is this? Am I going to have done anything that really mattered by the time I graduate college?

That's when I began to see obligations as opportunities. I get to go grocery shopping while there are people who don't have money or transportation to the store. I get to be there for that friend who needs me. As I began doing this, I have enjoyed life so much more. Gratitude levels go through the roof and life becomes much better than it was before when you had obligations.

So I challenge you to take whatever obligations you have and see them as opportunities, whether it be an opportunity to grow, to become more compassionate, to be that person everyone can count on. Are you living for the weekend or making every single day matter?