I saw this blog last week and it ties in with the past My Story about risk. It's part of the Dude's Guide to Manhood from Darin Patrick. If you're a lady, you can still read it. I won't tell on you.

Killing the Settler's Spirit · Darrin Patrick
I live in the “Gateway to the West.” We’ve got a 660-foot arch as a reminder that St. Louis was once a bustling frontier town. It was from here that President Jefferson sent out Lewis & Clark on one of the most grueling and dangerous expeditions in American history. The city opened up the great unknown of the frontier and grew to become the fourth largest city in the nation by 1900.

St. Louis became a place for explorers, and even soldiers, to get equipped for the western frontier. This city’s early businessmen built their careers by outfitting others for the wilderness. Though some used it as a launching point to great adventure, most made St. Louis their resting place. It was easy to live on the border of the wilderness without having to actually enter it.

There is nothing wrong with settling into a good land and cultivating it, but there is something destructive about having a settler’s spirit—the mindset that exploration is something other people do and adventure is something we only read about.

It is OK to settle, it is not OK to become a settler.

Just like the title of Stephen Ambrose’s historical piece on Lewis & Clark, it takes “undaunted courage” to enter into the unknown. We all love hearing the stories of these boundary-crossers. We may even daydream about being these type of men. But that would require risk. It’s easy to stay comfortable and to stop pursuing new challenges. It is much more comfortable to find a patch of land, work it, and never risk discovering what’s over the hill.

Too many of us are settlers. It is easy to settle for a less than challenging career. It is easy to settle for a less than intimate marriage. It is easy to settle for a less than satisfying relationship with your kids. It is easy to settle for being out of shape. Too many of us stand on the edge of the frontier, but retreat to the safety of the comfortable settlement.

4 Ways to Kill the Settler in You

1. Do the Hard Thing First
I love to procrastinate. I am an expert at it. At the heart of procrastination is the unwillingness to tackle difficult tasks. We all do this, because hard tasks take a ton of energy. Putting them off until the last minute is dumb because you have already expended the best energy of your day. What if we actually did the hard things at the beginning of the day, month, or year?

2. Find a Risk Partner
There is something to be said about surrounding yourself with people who are not like you. These relationships reveal your own personality extremes and help strengthen your character. But if you are going to repent of being a settler you need people who not only take you to the edge of the cliff, but encourage you to jump with them.

3. Do Something Risky
About a year ago I looked in the mirror and saw a very bored man. A bored man is a dangerous man. So, I decided to try two new hobbies (which was two more than I had). I took up rock climbing. I met a guy who was an expert and was willing to teach me and I am pursuing it with my whole heart even though I am not crazy about heights. I also started hunting. This one was influenced by my son who loves the outdoors and so I have spent the year researching and finding guides to help us.

4. Set Some Big, Hairy Audacious Goals
Years ago I heard leadership guru Jim Collins challenge the conference I was attending to get some BHAGs. I have taken this challenge for the last 15 years. The hard thing about setting big goals is that you won’t meet many of them. You will have to battle condemnation and justification. But, this is the right fight, if you refuse to be a settler.

There will certainly be seasons when we are just trying to hold everything together. Sometimes you have to survive. But manhood is about more than maintenance. In what aspect of your life have you said “it’s fine” or “I’m alright,” when in reality, you’re just excusing your lack of courage?

Be settled, but don’t be a settler.