Just shy of three months into my first year as a teacher in rural Alaska, I stood on a snow berm, watching much of the K-12 school burn to the library (more on that in my next blog post). That historical moment turned into a metaphor that has played out in my life in multiple ways, and I venture it has been played out in your life, too. In moments of heat, pressure and trial by fire, we make decisions and choices that impact our lives in small and expansive ways.
This blog begins a shared exploration of an idea: not settling is an art form. It’s a practice like yoga, like teaching, like business. Settling for less is commonplace and at the root of so much unhappiness. Is it the perception of settling or the real deal that leads one into the realm of emotional suppression? Is settling for less a necessary evil in the world as we know it? Is settling really awful or just another word for compromise?
As someone with a strong resistance to settling, and as somebody who has both suffered and benefitted from holding out for what feels or intellectually seems right, I’d like to both share my stories and hear yours. I’d like to explore the research related to the subject and share that with you, too.
Please join me on this explorative journey. Comment, share stories, or provide links of your own. Our joint curiosity is our mutual enlightenment.
Always exploring,
~ Stephanie
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
The Art of Not Settling 