If you knew me you would know that there is one four letter word that I detest.  It starts with an F.   If I didn’t give it away with the title you may have guessed wrong.  That word is Fine.  I’ve struggled with the use of this word almost my entire adult life and the more I hear it, the more I wonder is it misused or possibly used as a dismissal at times.  Webster’s simple definition of the word is good, acceptable, or satisfactory.  Nothing wrong with that I guess.  But, maybe it’s time we look at it a little more in depth.  

This may be a bit of a jump, but being a HUGE Ted Lasso fan I’m going to borrow a quote from Roy Kent (Please excuse his language) …      “He’s fine. That’s it. Nothing wrong with that, most people are fine. But it’s not about him. It’s about why the f@#* you think he deserves you. You deserve someone who makes you feel like you’ve been struck by f@#*ing lightning. Don’t you dare settle for “fine.”

When you read this, aside from the bluntness of Roy’s statement, what do you think about it?  If you are like most, you probably land on a time in your life (perhaps a relationship) where you just weren’t happy, but you weren’t unhappy either.  It was FINE.   Chances are many in this world live in this type of relationship today, but not all.  Some have had the surreal feeling of meeting someone you will never forget, a person that takes your breath away and makes you feel like you are dancing on the clouds.  Whether that leads to a lifelong partnership or not, chances are you remember it and that person.  Full disclosure I’m a hopeless romantic, but that is not my focus today and certainly not the only place I think it’s important to look for the “lightning strike” feeling Roy refers to instead of the oblivion of my least favorite word. 

How many of you go to work every day absolutely pumped at the chance to be there and make a difference?  How many of you have a passion for what you do that is never ending and work doesn’t seem like work?  Or, conversely how many of you would categorize work as fine?

Likewise, how many of you have friendships or family relationships that you cherish?  How many of you have a group of “your people” that are not only a source of love and support, but an opportunity for you to give the same back frequently?  How many of you look forward to every moment you can spend with them and feel truly blessed they are in your life?  Or, do you just have distant relatives and acquaintances? 

How many of you live life to its fullest, look for the next opportunity to experience something new, or push yourself out of your comfort zone just for the sake of seeing and being more? Or, how many of you are wallflowers just waiting for something to happen and being ok with the pedestrian flow of life?

Think about those questions I asked above.  Let them sit with you for a while.  Are you living a “lightning strike” life or are you just “fine”?

Please know my purpose in this post is not to criticize anyone.  We all have unique stories and we all have “stuff” that may necessitate we are and do what we do.  But, I would ask that you consider, if nothing else, what you think you deserve.  If you could write the rest of your story would it be focused on “fine” or would it be something more?

My hope for all of us is the next time we are asked about something we don’t give the standard “It’s fine” response.  Rather, I hope we are in a position to say “Actually life is great and I’m continuing to strive for my dreams and not giving up”.  Well, that kind of sounds corny, but you get the point… I hope!  Go be the BEST version of yourself and surround yourself with those who do that for you!!!