Nonconforming: How to Stop Resting On Your But
Dare to be nonconforming, after all, we are in the world. We are not supposed to be of it.
What does the but have to do with being nonconforming? Simple. Resting on your but leads you to conform to others.
You are uniquely designed to live on a purpose.
BUT I have to make money.
You are designed for such a time as this.
BUT I need to get things in order before I can.
You are not a surprise (or a disappointment) to God.
BUT I want to do it my way.
Maybe those buts are a little extreme. Still, they start to get the point across. When you make an excuse or give a reason (no matter how good) then you are resting on your but.
When you lean into your but you often fall on it.
There will always be a reason. There will always be an excuse. Until your it becomes a priority, you will struggle to find a way.
Definition of Nonconforming
According to the Webster’s Dictionary 1828, a nonconformist is a person that neglects or refuses to give into the established expectations.
In other words, it’s anything outside the way they expect.
My friend joined the Army and had to train before leaving for basic training. She made me join her because she was the only girl in the group. Without fail, the recruiter would try to get me to sign up as well. My friend always told him that I wasn’t conformist enough to join.
She was right. Too often I chose to do things a different way just because everyone else was doing it the other way. I chose to be nonconforming just to shake things up.
When there isn’t a lot on the line, it can be easy to choose that path. When you are facing responsibilities, weights, requirements, or expectations then it becomes a bit tougher. Instead of walking the path, you are walking the path with fifty-pound weights attached to your ankles.
If you are going to walk your nonconforming path then you have to choose to be intentional in refusing to settle into what THEY have defined.
Becoming Nonconforming
I looked around and nothing looked the way I wanted. The path had taken a sharp right turn and I think I tripped over a root. It felt like instead of progressing I was face down in the dirt. Despite all I had planned, I was not where I wanted to be.
When it becomes enough of a priority that I won’t accept it then I will be forced to get off my but. There can be no excuses in intentional actions.
When you see a but, kick it.
Nine times out of ten, I know I’m making an excuse to avoid doing what I know to do even as I’m making the excuse. Despite the fact that I want to do it – I want to be over there instead of over there and I want to live my best life – I’ve gotten very talented at making the excuses.
Even when there is a legitimate reason to do something else, you have to be so determined to live your best life that you find a way to do it anyway.
When your but is more comfortable, stretch it
Every day, I would take my snack to the couch and watch some television while I enjoyed the break. Then I started playing a game on my phone while I snacked and watch some television. And then I started playing a game while I snacked while I streamed television shows I’d already seen a dozen times. (Hint: If you can do the dialogue with the characters then you’ve seen it too many times).
Until I got up and moved, I had a lot of but to rest on.
When you find yourself in a rut, watch out for the but and then find creative ways to stretch it.
Keep your head out of your but
I looked in the mirror and cringed. This was not the person I was supposed to be. The idea grew in my head until I didn’t want to be seen outside the home (and didn’t really want to be seen there either). But they will judge me became a whirlwind in my head.
When these negative ideas fill your head, find ways to overwhelm them with bigger ideas.
CONTENT UPGRADE
Getting Beyond the But
I’ve got big but and I can not lie. Actually, in some ways my big but ability is a lie – only I’m lying to myself about what really is important. Instead of making the choice to do better or to do different, I settle back on my but.
Or I did.
Over the last few weeks, I have been determined to be intentional – mostly because I have been openly sharing and challenging you to be intentional in your purpose. The more investment I have in you and your encouragement, the more I find it growing in my life as well.
Be intentional and stop resting on your but.
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