"I want to...but"

I see a lot of people saying they want to do something but then immediately interject “but” after it.

“I wanna lose weight but…”

“I really like this person. I think we have a lot in common but…”

“Moving out of state will be good for me on all levels but…”

“Getting into a deeper relationship with God is what I need to do but…”

Listen, if 2016 didn’t teach me anything else it taught me that time waits for no man. I’ve seen so much tragedy and disappointment this year, whether it’s been on the news or personally, but I’ve also experienced one of the best years of my life. I got to travel to a place I've always talked about, met some amazing people and built some great friendships from it. I went to my first concert ever in life, took a cruise, started a business, published 4 books and fell in love with myself and my life all over again.

I don’t have time for buts. Either you do what you say you’re going to do or stop talking about it. I’ve learned throughout my life so far that words will get you nowhere. It’s the action behind the words that either proves that you are stronger than you think you are or you’re really just the weakest link.

Think about it for a second…what if you went to a job interview and the interviewer said, “We really want to hire you. You’re the most qualified person we’ve seen come through those doors…but”. How would you feel? What if you went to the bank to get a loan to start a business and the manager there says, “Everything checks out fine. Your credit is A+…but”. How would you feel? Don’t like those questions? Well, how about this one.

What if Jesus got on the cross and right before they nailed his hands and feet he said, “Wait! I want to die for these people…but”. You know what that “but” really is? It’s called FEAR. Fear of the unknown. The truth of the matter is you’re not fearful that it won’t work out this time. You’re fearful because it WILL work out and you’ll have to be accountable, responsible, put in some effort and work, and actually deal with those personal issues that you want to keep locked up. Don’t wait until 2017 rolls around to start that “New Year, New Me, New Resolutions” stuff. Remove the “but” that’s in your way and go after life without regrets.

Don’t let a “but” make you miss out on the best experience of your lifetime.

-Shakita