The definition of 'settling' is to resolve or reach an agreement about an argument or problem. Often times, we define settling as the act of allowing yourself to cave for something less worthy; to stop trying anymore. We find ourselves setting for our fears bigger then our faith instead of making our faith bigger than our fear. Settling is taking the easy way out. It is the convenient path that leaves no room for possibility. It masks ours dreams and causes us to lose hope in our ultimate goals.

We settle for the person that we are. It is easy to look around and judge the world around you. It is easy to be able to settle for the way you currently treat people instead of taking time each day to evaluate yourself and your character, and then improve it. Instead of waking up each day with a positive outlook, we make a choice to settle with what we have and not try to make our situations better. Not only do we settle for how we act, we settle for how we look. We either do not love our body because of our own reasoning or because of the judgmental words of toxic people around us. Stop compromising yourself and who you are to please others who do not matter. No one matters but you.

We settle for “love” and happiness. First off, if you are settling it is not love. There is a clear difference between love and attachment. We attach ourselves when we try to avoid loneliness. We grasp at the temporary happiness thinking that what we want is impossible to find or "they make me happy 'enough' or at least most of the time.”

Never attach yourself to temporary happiness. The one whom we desire most will never leave us feeling like an option or that we are not a priority. We will never doubt their love for us. We will never doubt anything about the person or the relationship. Never lose hope, for God will place what is meant to be in your life at the perfect time.

Most importantly, in order to love someone else, you must love yourself first. This means the first step is to not settle within your own self because you ultimately define your own happiness.

We all have a dream job in our minds that we hope to have one day. Often times that dream job includes years of education and hours in the library. It involves student loans with six digits or more. It involves skipping out on a fun night with friends or missing the latest episode of your favorite television show. As soon as we begin the long road to our dream job, we find the steps extremely difficult. The time, energy, and money often scare us away. We feel defeated and lack confidence. This is all because we allow our fears of hard work to be greater than our faith in ourselves. We settle.

Everything we settle for defines us as a person. In order to embrace our potential we have to stop settling. Get back on the boat and keep paddling to your goals. Put your plan into motion. Always remember, if it is easy, it isn’t worth it. Make your faith bigger than your fear.

“The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.” - Maureen Dowd