The Lure of The Status Quo

When it comes to making any sort of change in your life, one of the biggest obstacles that can stand in your way is the lure of the status quo. The status quo is the existing state of affairs in your life and it does NOT like being disrupted.

In fact, the status quo is so appealing people will go to great lengths to convince themselves (and others) that maintaining it is best for all involved.

The Draw

The biggest lure of the status quo is that it is familiar, which also means that it is predictable. If you can predict what might happen, you can take steps to control the outcome. This sense of control feels empowering, and you settle for feeling empowered rather than ACTUALLY being empowered.

Another enticement is that it creates a sense of safety. We are biologically wired to seek places that feel safe and when we find it, we are hard pressed to leave. A need to hold on to that feeling of safety one of the reasons the status quo is maintained.  

The status quo is also comfortable. Here everything is good; it’s all fine. If it’s not broken, then there’s no need to do anything different. In this place of comfort, things are easy and you become convinced that anything different will be too hard and potentially too painful.

Yet my experiences have taught me that the status quo is often like the slow boil of a pot of hot water. It slowly kills something inside you without you even realizing it’s happening.

The Danger

The status quo quiets and quells your dreams; encourages you not to dream too big or want too much. The risk of disappointment is too high so it’s best to focus on what’s realistic.

It also undermines your confidence; tells you that you aren’t enough – not good enough, smart enough, capable enough. It causes you to question your skills and abilities, convincing you that you don’t really have what it takes to make that change.

The status quo puts you in a box and defines your life in terms of that box, offering only one perspective – the perspective of “what is”. It throws fear and doubt at every other perspective, reinforcing why “what is” is the best choice.

Ultimately, this robs you of your joy. You become convinced that you have to settle for living with a low-grade level of misery. Life is “fine” but it lacks any real joy.

The Deliverance

Embracing courage is the key to breaking free of the status quo. Having the courage to first believe you deserve joy, deserve feeling fulfilled and satisfied in your life, deserve knowing that you are showing up fully for your life.

Then it’s having the courage to start baby stepping your way towards change. It can be scary AND it is also exciting because the real magic of your life is waiting on the other side of the status quo.

Where in your life do you need to begin resisting the lure of the status quo? What small courageous step can you commit to taking today?

Here’s to you embracing that courage and rising into your greatness.

From my heart to yours,