The Devil You Know

Familiar isn’t always aligned.

I pinched my eyes closed and let out a big exhale, attempting to relax my body and not grit my teeth in tension. Here I was, dealing with another day of unnecessary chaos—8 AM Slack messages from a new boss I didn’t ask for filling up my inbox, another disruptive task being added to a never-ending list of changes that would impact progress on a project I never asked to be on. A quiet reminder that I’m meant for better but settling for less—a feeling I’m all too familiar with.

I’ve stayed in relationships past their expiration date, too, so it’s no surprise the same thing is happening with my career.

The Cost of Staying Too Long

This wasn’t the first week—nor the first time—I’d considered putting in my two-week notice. Over the last three weeks, I’ve been fighting the urge to walk out the proverbial door (only proverbial, as I’m spending my summer working remotely in LA). The only thing realistically stopping me is the balance on my loans and credit cards—debt accrued from taking a leap of faith into real estate investing that didn’t quite go according to plan.

Consequently, I’ve shed my fair share of tears these last few weeks. Not from weakness, but from frustration. Because when a vision you believe God placed inside of you doesn’t yield the result you expected, it no longer feels like a blessing—it feels like a burden.

I’ve prayed. I’ve fasted. I’ve journaled. And yet, it seemed like God was not interested in providing the respite I so deeply desired. Or so I thought. It’s made me question my decisions and re-evaluate my ideas. It’s made me wonder whether I’ll ever taste the fruit of my labor or bask in the joy of my sacrifices. This is the season where many people throw in the towel instead of staying firm in faith. And I get it—there’s nothing more defeating than a dream deferred for reasons outside of your control.

Redirection in Disguise

But in this season, I’m beginning to realize what looks like a roadblock is often redirection in disguise. It’s in these moments that you have to ask yourself what you truly want and what’s really aligned with the plans of the Most High.

Truthfully, I knew my time in this position was coming to an end. It started as a small feeling. A deep knowing that something just wasn’t right, that the vision of what I thought would be wasn’t matching what was currently in sight. At first, it felt like an annoying thorn in my side—irritating, but not debilitating. Just enough to make me pause and reexamine my why, but not enough to push me fully toward a life that’s aligned with my purpose.

It’s easy to overstay your welcome out of comfort for the familiar.

The devil you know is less scary than the thought of risking a better future that may go wrong.

And it reminded me that we do this in so many areas of our lives. From relationships to career situationships, we attempt to resuscitate things that long ago have died. We settle for crumbs when we can enjoy a feast. We fear letting go of good in exchange for great, because the cost-benefit means risking that things don’t quite go our way, not realizing that the quality of our future depends on the decisions that we make today.

So with that in mind, I’ve decided to stop living like a victim in a story I’m meant to rewrite. I’m choosing alignment over attachment. Faith over familiarity. No more getting cozy with complaints, nor will I let the thought of failure keep me in a state of “what if.” No more dressing up complacency as wisdom. Fear has no seat at this table—only obedience, audacity, and the kind of mindset that moves mountains.

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Have you ever overstayed somewhere—whether in a job or a relationship—because it felt safer than the unknown? I'd love to hear your story in the comments.