Note: The following article is a guest post from Andrea Hess of Empowered Soul.

Life situations that we tolerate are a lot like that carton of milk that we have left sitting in the back of our refrigerator long past its expiration date.

When we first notice that the milk has gone bad, we may be right in the middle of rushing off to work. We leave it sitting where it is, instead of dumping it out into the kitchen sink. A few days later, we notice it again…but again we’re too busy making dinner and don’t want to bother. After all, we can take care of it any time.

Eventually, the sight of that carton in the back of our refrigerator becomes so familiar that we do not even notice it any more. Sure, occasionally the lack of room bothers us. But we always have something better to do. Besides, we know that when we empty that carton, it will be a smelly, nasty mess … and so it stays. After all, what’s a few more days, right?

Tolerated situations in our lives evolve the same way as the carton of milk left in the refrigerator for too long. These situations can be of our own making – an unhealthy lifestyle that results in weight gain, a job that pays the bills but isn’t fulfilling, a relationship that is convenient but not loving. Tolerated situations can also be centered around our loved ones - a disrespectful child, a sarcastic spouse, or a condescending mother-in-law.

Initially, we don’t act on the minor irritations that these situations cause. We’re busy dealing with more pressing matters – besides, we can always take care of it tomorrow, or next week. But just like the spoiled milk, these situations have a tendency to deteriorate from neglect. We get used to them, even as they worsen. We put off dealing with them, because the longer we tolerate, the harder change becomes. What would have been a quick fix in the beginning is now a major battle. Now we have forty pounds to lose, or a major career change to make, or a relationship to end that would have flourished if we’d only set boundaries early on. We have to re-educate our loved ones on how to treat us, even though we’ve tolerated their behavior for years. Like dumping out that very old milk in the refrigerator, cleaning up these situations could get very messy and unpleasant.

We can now either act creatively and make the changes we want, even if it is a lot of hard, uncomfortable work. Or we can keep tolerating the situation. The second option is often tempting, because it seems the easier choice. But have no doubt about it – tolerated situations will continue to deteriorate. They will not go away when ignored. The milk, left in the refrigerator, will eventually begin to stink. And then it’s no longer a matter of throwing out old milk. Now the whole refrigerator needs a thorough cleaning.

Situations that are tolerated for too long will eventually become unbearable. They will eventually “stink up” the rest of our lives, often forcing us into a major overhaul of all our life circumstances.

In the short term, tolerating is certainly the easier choice. Over time, however, tolerating circumstances we would never choose for ourselves robs us of our creative abilities. So much of our energy is spent simply putting up with these aspects of our lives that there is little left over for us to create what we truly want. We shift more and more towards merely reacting and surviving, rather than creating and thriving.

Ask yourself:

What situations in my life am I currently tolerating?
If left ignored, how might this situation deteriorate?
What circumstances would I choose to create instead?
What can I do today to create these desired circumstances?

Asking yourself these questions will place you back into the role of conscious creator of your life. And if we claim ourselves as conscious creators, then tolerating what we would not choose for ourselves is no longer an option.

Andrea Hess is an Intuitive Consultant and author of the book “Unlock Your Intuition.” You can visit her website and blog at www.EmpoweredSoul.com.