“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it,” so warned Michelangelo. Similarly, Ralph Waldo Emerson noted, “The integrity of a man is to be measured by his best-kept secret, not by his most celebrated compromise.”
These powerful statements speak directly to the subtle but destructive human tendency to lower our aspirations when genuine fulfillment seems distant, substituting authentic desire with mere convenience. Let’s reflect on the profound implications of settling for the immediately available when the truly desirable seems out of reach.
Do you know that the dynamic where the available supplants the desirable is a silent assassin of potential and a corrosive agent to long-term satisfaction? When we face a void left by an unattainable goal be it a career aspiration, a healthy relationship standard, a challenging project, or even a personal fitness milestone – our minds are naturally wired to fill that gap quickly to alleviate the discomfort of absence. This impulsive drive often leads us to embrace the nearest, most convenient option, not because it genuinely aligns with our core values or brings us deep, lasting joy, but simply because it requires the least effort and provides the quickest sense of resolution. This act of settling creates an equilibrium of mediocrity and gives us just enough comfort to stop the difficult process of searching and striving but not enough purpose or passion to feel truly alive and fulfilled. We trade the challenging pursuit of the excellent for the easy acceptance of the adequate, diminishing our self-respect and unconsciously teaching ourselves that our deepest desires are flexible and ultimately dispensable in the face of temporary challenges.
So, enhance your capacity to accept the temporary void and the discomfort of unfulfilled desires, understanding that this empty space is vital for true growth and fulfillment. Recognize that this requires cultivating resilience and patience, viewing the absence of the desirable not as a prompt to compromise or settle, but rather as a period of incubation for future opportunity or a necessary signal to recalibrate your strategy, not your fundamental standard. Learn to cherish the freedom that comes with non-attachment to the ‘available,’ and allow yourself the necessary space to wait, to plan, to create, or to work diligently towards the genuine article, even if the path ahead is steep, winding, and lengthy. Be conscious that the call to action here is two-fold: develop the self-awareness to immediately recognize when compromise is born of fear, fatigue, or impatience rather than wisdom, and demonstrate the courage to hold the line on your inner non-negotiables, knowing that only by persistently maintaining high standards can you eventually attract and build the life you truly want and deserve, rather than settling for the average or mere convenience.
As you step out each day, remember that the quality of your life is ultimately defined by the standards you refuse to abandon, not the compromises you choose to embrace for immediate relief. The path to lasting fulfillment and genuine success demands a steadfast commitment to personal integrity – a deep refusal to let short-term convenience overshadow long-term aspiration and purpose. Your true, lasting value lies not in what you manage to grab quickly from the pile of available things, but in the higher good you consistently and patiently hold out for.
- Esitikot is a professor of occupational health and safety, a COREN-registered chemical engineer, public affairs analyst, UN Ambassador for Peace, certified management consultant, World Safety Organization Ambassador, recognized Environmental Ambassador, marriage counsellor, youth mentor, reviewer for international research journals and volunteer lecturer at the Institute of Health, Safety, Security and Environment, University of Uyo. He is a manager in the oil and gas industry and was recognized by Highstone Global University, USA as the occupational health and safety personality of 2024. He can be contacted via 08035103559 (Whatsapp only) or email (esitikot@gmail.com).
