Some day, we will all die, Snoopy! – Charlie Brown
True, but on all the other days, we will not. – Snoopy
I love this quote from none other than Snoopy himself. It speaks to the very heart of Never Settle. Don Pittman, the inspiration behind everything we do and who we are at Never Settle, battled an incurable cancer of the bone marrow for seven years. As his physical body began wasting away, his inner spirit became renewed and grew even stronger. He understood more than most that today matters. He was continually told he wouldn’t live more than a couple of weeks. But instead of giving in to his physical reality, he said, “I’m going to die but I’m not going to die today.” And then he got up and took action. I think those words spoken with such tenacity and strength of character are what separates the ordinary from the extraordinary.
I’ve been in the people business for over 30 years and I have never talked to one single person that said they didn’t want to make a difference in this world. We all do. But few do what is necessary to really impact the community and world around them. Here’s why. It requires effort. It’s about getting out of your comfort zone, leaving mediocrity behind and choosing to never settle. You have to get to the place where you become what I refer to as being “divinely discontent.” It’s the understanding that there is still more good to be done in this world and you feel a personal responsibility to do it.
I just recently lost over 40 lbs. I have wanted to lose the weight for a long time. But all you had to do was talk to me and I had every excuse in the book why I couldn’t do it. Some of them were even good ones! I had every resource available to help me including my daughter & her husband being personal trainers and owning their own gym. But no amount of resources or encouragement from other people got me to lose the weight. I wasn’t ready. I hadn’t yet become discontent with my situation. After all, chocolate chip cookies are pretty sweet! It wasn’t until I decided I was going to do whatever it takes to get healthy again that I did. I took personal responsibility. It hasn’t been easy and it surely hasn’t been comfortable. But it was worth it. So worth it, because I changed not only my physical appearance but also my thinking.
If you want to make a lasting difference in this world then you have to do the same thing. You have to become discontent with the world’s current reality and then you have to take action. You don’t have to look any farther than our recent election to see all the chaos this country is in. It’s easy to gripe and point fingers at people but what are you personally doing about it? You can’t create change by turning your back on a world in need. You have to get involved and as Gandhi states, “Be the change you want to see in this world.” There’s no more room for excuses. People that make excuses stay in the recliner and never change the world! But those of us who dare to change the world are usually the ones that do.
World Change 2016 is a real, tangible way to start making a difference. Here’s the thing. Once you become passionate about becoming a world changer, others around you will too. Passion is contagious. Every memorable movement started with one passionate leader that believed they could make a difference.
Today, December 14th, is my birthday, and I’m asking you to contribute to something that matters. You can go to the World Change 2016 campaign page to make a donation to three inspiring non-profit programs. 100% of your gifts will go straight to the field to impact the things you care about. You can even use your influence to start a movement with your own friends and family. Set up a fundraising page, set a goal and choose your cause. You might be surprised how a little idea of yours can develop into real, world change. If you need some ideas or help on your journey toward world change, you can always reach out to us at team Never Settle. We are here to help.
But whatever you decide to do, do it! Replace excuses with action and be willing to take a few risks, step out in faith and move toward your dream. Once you have a God-given dream, that dream becomes your responsibility. And once you take personal responsibility, look out because change is about to happen! You will never regret the time spent or sacrifices made becoming a world changer. The cause is always worth the cost.
-Mindy Pittman
