What’s Your (Lame) Excuse?

My reasons for deciding to be awesome.

I know that eating less sugar will help me lose weight, but I just need it to make it through the afternoon.

Yes, we want to get out of debt, but I just don’t have to the time to sit down and plan a budget.

I really would like to have a better marriage, but I’m just don’t have much time to have sex with my husband.

Everyone has excuses, ranging from why they can’t find time to exercise to why they just can’t get their marriage together. And you know what? They’re all pretty lame.

I’ve encountered my fair share of excuses as I’ve traveled down this counter-cultural road that I’ve been on. It seems that almost every conversation I have with someone brings up some kind of excuse. Whether we’re talking about cloth diapers or sex or childbirth, someone has some excuse for why they can’t be more intentional about the way their living.

And it’s a load of bull.

Because an excuse is really just a safety net that keeps you in your comfort zone. It keeps you safe, normal and blissfully ignorant. Holding on to excuses keeps you from facing your fears and realizing that you can do much more than you thought you could.

Excuses keep us from rising up into the glory that we were created to share with the world. And that’s a big deal. I’d go so far as to say that your excuse for why you can’t change the world is a slap in God’s face.

My excuse was my kids. They’re really good little scapegoats aren’t they? I can’t exercise, I’ve got to take care of my kids. I can’t change the way I eat and become more healthy, I’ve got a lot of kids and that would be expensive. I can’t change the world, I was called to be a mother.

Whoa. What? I realized that if anything, kids are my reason. I need to be fit to teach my kids to take care of their bodies. I need to eat well and show my kids that nutrition is the basis of good health. I need to show my kids that anyone can change the world. That my role as a mother should fuel me in my calling to nurture, improve, invent and teach; not detract me from it.

Life is too short to be stuck in mediocrity, living day to day in an existence that does nothing more than pad Walmart’s pockets and give NBC more reasons to produce crappy TV shows.

If your life is not where you want it to be right now, then you need to look at what excuses are holding you back. Whether it’s time, money, your kids or your spouse, I’m willing to bet the true reason you’re not forging onward is fear. Fear of failing, of having to sacrifice some luxuries, of living up to who you were made to be.

Name your fear. Write it down. Take it from being a big, scary, paralyzing thought and turn it into words on a piece of paper. It somehow makes it more conquerable. Once you’ve done that, you get to decide what to do next.

Will you burn the paper, and make the conscious, daily decision to overcome those fears and move forward into who you were called to be or will you ignore me and continue on in a state of numbed misery?

I know that you can do it, when you make the decision and surround yourself with support. But it’s up to you. What’s it gonna be?

Nina Nelson is a writer, crazy hippie lady, mama to four and wife to one. She writes regularly at Shalom Mama, inspiring others to live intentionally. She loves reading, snuggling and giggling at miniature horses.