Your dream is at risk. Five killers are out to put an end to it—perhaps even before it gets out of the starting gate.
These Dream Assassins are Fear, Envy, Shame, Pride, and today’s spotlight killer: Complacency.
This is the fifth and final Public Service Announcement issued as a warning to be on the alert for these intruders.
Public Service Announcement
This fugitive is a serious threat to your dream. Use every precaution. Complacency should be considered armed and dangerous.
The trouble is that, as modern people, we have too much to live with and too little to live for.” Os Guinness
Physical description:
- Complacency is a known risk-avoider. Always takes the path of least resistance. Favorite sayings: “Don’t rock the boat” and “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.”
- Places a premium on personal comfort and safety. Threatened by causes that call for personal sacrifice.
- Marked by a lack of personal vision and an apathy toward having one.
- Cloaks itself as contentment to avoid the demands that personal change may put upon it.
- Seeks to replace introspection with entertainment.
- Strictly adheres to Newton’s Law: An object at rest, remains at rest.
Aliases: Also goes by: Apathy, Passivity, Satisfaction, Contentment
Precautions: If you know the whereabouts of this Dream Assassin, take the necessary precautions. Complacency is an insidious form of resistance to your dream. It convinces you that your current limitations are insurmountable. That your dream is not worth the risk of making your present situation worse. Complacency, if left unchecked, will keep your boat in port. To ward off complacency, practice a little healthy discontent from time to time.
What are some other characteristics of this Dream Assassin?
Leary, I’m particularly struck (read: annoyed) by the Os Guinness quote. I justify my choice of entertainment (reading) that replaces introspection, by characterizing my choices as sophisticated or discriminating. It is so easy to sidestep responsible action!
Interesting observation, Ron. I guess I tend to think of my reading as a more sophisticated choice of diversion as well. For some reason, I think more of myself spending nine hours reading a book instead of watching a two hour movie. But perhaps there’s more reflection in reading than watching; not to mention I have a slow CPU.