Andre Bellfield

This account is for people who are grateful for their life and still want more from it. The bills are paid. The job is fine. And you still wonder, "Is this it?" A lot of people feel that way and keep it to themselves. You're in the right place.

Ever walk away from a conversation and keep going over it in your head? What they said. What you said back. What you wish you’d said instead. A lot of times, the whole thing started with one line you took the wrong way. Asking what they meant takes a few seconds, and it can save you a whole night of going over it.

It can be lonely to want more when your spouse is happy with life as it is. It can make you feel like the difficult one, the only person in the house who can't relax. Plenty of good marriages have one person who is content and one who is restless.

Many people are good at something their job has never used. Maybe you settle arguments. Maybe people tell you things they don't tell anyone else. Nobody at work has asked for it, so you've never counted it as anything special.

"I could've at least started" might be the toughest thought at the end of the year. You didn't have to finish. You only had to begin, and the year went by. That thought usually means the first step was smaller than it seemed all year.

When your results are fine, nobody tells you that you've eased up. If you were failing, you'd hear about it. When the work passes, nobody says anything. So you're the only one who knows.

Ever notice how most days look the same? You get up, go to work, come home, and do it all over again. And you're thankful for the life you've got. But every now and then, you wonder if you should be doing something different. What's something you've wanted to do for years?

Some people still measure themselves against a plan they made at twenty-two. That plan was made by someone very young, with what they knew then. Outgrowing an old dream is allowed, and so is still wanting what it stood for.

When you look back at this year, you probably count what you didn't get to first. You leave out what you handled. Showing up when you didn't feel like it. Taking care of people. You got more done than you're giving yourself credit for.

What's something you want that you haven't said out loud yet?

A lot of people believe they're too old to start something. They've done the math. If they'd started ten years ago, they'd be there by now. Feeling late is common. So is doing your best work in the second half.

Some people joke about wanting more before anyone can take it seriously. "Good job, healthy kids, and here I am complaining. First world problems." Something can be a first world problem and still be worth taking seriously.

You might have said "This is going to be my year" in January. Then work got busy, and the plan kept getting pushed back. You don't say that about a year unless you believe you've got more in you. You still believe it.

Wanting more can feel impossible when the only way you can picture it is starting over. Quit the job. Go back to school. Move. With a mortgage and a family, none of that is realistic. A lot of people want more and want to keep what they have.

A lot of people get home from work with no energy left. The couch, the phone, a show you're half watching. Three hours later it's bedtime. Wishing your evenings had more in them is a sign you still want something for yourself.

There are two months left in the year. It's easy to think that's not enough time to do anything, so you wait for January. Two months is about nine weeks. You've done more with less time than that.

A lot of capable people pass on opportunities and regret it later. At the time, passing felt sensible. Then someone else took it and did fine, and you thought, "I could have done that." It doesn't mean you couldn't have handled it.

Nobody decides to live an average life. It happens one reasonable choice at a time. You do what the job requires. You see friends when it works out. You deal with your health when something hurts. Each of those makes sense on the day you choose it.

"I should be further along by now." You've probably thought it more than once this year. From the outside you're doing fine. Nobody sees what you're comparing yourself to. You only feel behind when you can still see where you want to be.

A lot of people don't go after more because they're afraid of losing what they have. It took years to build. A stable job. A home. A routine that works. Being careful with what you have and wanting more are both signs you take your life seriously.

At some point, people stop expecting more from you. Your boss is happy with your work. Your friends think you're doing great. Some people miss being pushed and feel odd admitting it. Being expected to grow is a way of being believed in.