“What you don’t have, you do without”

My dad meant well.  He meant for us kids to be content with what we had, to not complain about what we didn’t have.  I remember hearing him saying, ‘What you don’t have, you do without”.

Unfortunately, what I learned from this statement, was not merely humility or contentment. I learned passivity and tolerance.  I’ve passively tolerated too many circumstances as they were, rather than doing something about it.  What I didn’t have, I just did without.  I didn’t seize the power that I possess to make things happen.  I also used to “do without” things that were within reach, because I didn’t understand I could reach for it.  Since I didn’t already possess it, I did without it.

So as an adult I decided to unlearn this childhood lesson, and instead – what I don’t have, I get up and go get!  I have a strong moral guide, I’m not materialistic, I don’t need a bunch of things, so I trust that my desires – the things I want and don’t yet have – are worthy pursuits.

What is something you don’t have that you are unwilling to do without?  A healthy body? financial increase? international travel?  It is all within reach. Get up and go get it!