I recently wrote about the importance of knowing what we want in life and being mindful of what we compromise on as well as what our non-negotiables are. The other part of that lesson I’ve learned is that you cannot invest your soul in a compromise.

If your life, lifestyle or life choices are not in harmony with who you are as a person, deep at your core, life can seem chaotic. Usually when we are in the right place with the right people, things will flow and we experience happiness, peace and a sense of home. However, when we are compromising on what’s important to us and/or living in situations or around people that aren’t a fit for our deepest desires, we tend to feel sad, depressed and even angry or frustrated.

This is why it is extremely important to be in tune with yourself by knowing what you want. It goes beyond just knowing though. Once you know, you’ve got to protect your wants, desires and dreams by fighting for them and stopping at nothing to ensure your life is in alignment with what you know to be truest for you inside your soul. This tends to require us to create boundaries as well as let go of things or people that aren’t proving to be in harmony with us.

If how you are living is in any way causing you sadness, strife, depression, frustration or any disheartening, you may need to ask yourself where you are compromising who you are or what you really want. These feelings are usually an indication that something in your life is not sitting well with your higher self and most likely isn’t part of God’s calling on your life.

It could be that you are just living on autopilot for everything you’re “used to.” That’s the hardest part of being human. We lose track of time and also ourselves by getting stuck in the rat race of the day-to-day grind, not realizing where we have started to compromise on what we really want or who we really are.

I talk to a lot of people dealing with addictions of all kinds and this is a common theme. What was once fun or making them feel happy, is no longer delivering that same happiness and has, instead, become a compromise as well as a necessity that has switched from being a cause of joy to sorrow and, often times, shame.

Most of the coaching clients I work with have to spend a bit of time back tracking to figure out when and where they got so off track. Then we have to come up with ways to get “used to” new things that bring more happiness back into their lives and hearts and minimize or eliminate the need to bargain their happiness for bad habits.

I always tell people that my own addictions with alcohol and cocaine started because it was fun to party. But over time, it stopped being fun and it began to be a chase or search to find the fun that it “once was.” It was then that I knew, something had to change because I could feel that my life was no longer aligning with my spirit and what was once so exciting, wasn’t serving me any more. I had started to compromise who I was at my core for cheap thrills that weren’t giving me what I actually needed.

We have to learn how to break free of the things that control us or hold us back and stop compromising our souls for things of this world that are not serving us. This may be one of the most essential life lessons we can ever acquire.

You cannot fully invest yourself into anything that does not serve your highest good. If how you are living, who you are living with or what you are doing isn’t resonating at your soul’s level, you will have a hard time being successful with it no matter what it is or how hard you try.

The universe doesn’t align for people that are just dabbling. We must go all in and give it everything we’ve got for the stars to align the way they are supposed to for our greatest good. How can we give 100% or more to something that isn’t jiving with our heart? We simply cannot give our all if it only suits pieces or parts of us.

If you know you are compromising where you shouldn’t be, make a decision to start making adjustments. If you’re not sure, take a look around you and ask yourself if your life looks the way you want it to or if there are things you wish were different. If you have a laundry list of areas in your life that cause you to feel discontented or aren’t feeling like a true fit for you, ask yourself if these parts of your life are something you are compromising on.

Usually, at the center of unhappiness lives a compromise, whether it’s obvious or not, that can be worked on or through to help us get back to the most authentic version of who we are. Pray about it. Meditate on it. Get honest with yourself about what you really want and why you aren’t where you want to be. Sometimes this takes finding a quiet spot and getting real with yourself and God because it is in the stillness that answers tend to surface.

Pay attention to where you might be compromising and evaluate if its a fair trade or if its denying your soul it’s true fulfillment. The self awareness to this simple realization can hold the key to unlocking not only more of your happiness and potential, but it also creates space for investing your soul in a future that is most purposeful for you.

Don’t compromise or sell yourself short on what matters most to you. You can’t thrive in a compromise. It’s nearly impossible. Instead find a way to honor who you are because at the end of the day, staying true to you is the most peaceful and fulfilling path. I hope this message serves you. Namaste.