More beyond what you can see right now? Before Italian explorer Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain in 1492 and stumbled upon the Americas, the Spaniards had prided themselves on their misinformed belief that their country was the last westward point of solid land on a flat earth.
Early Spanish coins were inscribed with the words ne plus ultra—which is a Latin phrase meaning “no more beyond.”
They believed there was nowhere else to go after Spain, and if one ventured into the endless sea, certain danger lay ahead.
These same words, ne plus ultra, also have been stamped on the minds of many men and women who have great potential but who have not ventured past the limits of their self-imposed boundaries.
They live in frustration because they believe there is no more beyond their current job, beyond their current state of physical health, beyond living from paycheck to paycheck, beyond having an unfulfilling marriage, or beyond living single.
And even when they know there is more than what they are accustomed to, they may be paralyzed by the fear of what lies ahead if they try to pursue more.
The paralysis that confines us to living in small spaces is often rooted in fear fueled by the people closest to us.
The people we love are sometimes guilty of encouraging us to live in ne plus ultra mode. A husband may be apprehensive about his wife’s desire to go back to college and complete her degree.
A best buddy may be intimidated by his friend’s newfound interest in church or a more spiritual existence. A parent may be unsettled by a child’s desire to move to a different city or a different country.
When you share your dreams with people who cannot envision more, their fearful comments can be discouraging.
When people encourage you to live a life that yields less than what you’re capable of accomplishing, there’s usually a selfish motive.
When the people closest to you try to confine your life to a small space, it’s typically not because they’re bad people or because they want you to feel like a failure. Most often they fear you will outgrow them and have no room for them in your life.
The problem of living in ne plus ultra mode is that our human nature compels us to seek more. No matter how much you say, “This is it,” your spirit is telling you, “Keep searching.”
The life we are destined to live calls to us, and our spirits turn toward it. I hope you will heed the call to live in the larger space your spirit calls you into.
More beyond what you can see right now? Share your thougt below….
