Settling: To restore calmness or comfort to

The word SETTLE...has such a negative connotation, at least to me. It's one thing I've always tried to NOT DO because in a way I've felt like if you settle, you are giving up on something better. I've had the fortune to live a life that has given me reason to believe that I was different because I lived my life ON PURPOSE and WITH PURPOSE and therefore I wasn't SETTLING...but since I've been hearing this word a lot lately...I decided to look it up:
Here is what I found which surprised me, in a good way and made me realize the FORTUNE that SETTLING truly is.

set·tle  (stl)

v. set·tled, set·tling, set·tles

v.tr.

1. To put into order; arrange or fix definitely as desired.

2. To put firmly into a desired position or place; establish.

3.

a. To establish as a resident or residents: settled her family in Ohio.

b. To establish residence in; colonize: Pioneers settled the West.

c. To establish in a residence, business, or profession.

4. To restore calmness or comfort to.   <----- This one was my FAVORITE!

5.

a. To cause to sink, become compact, or come to rest.

b. To cause (a liquid) to become clear by forming a sediment.

6. To subdue or make orderly.

7. To establish on a permanent basis; stabilize.

8.

a. To make compensation for (a claim).

b. To pay (a debt).

9. To conclude (a dispute, for example) by a final decision.

10. To decide (a lawsuit) by mutual agreement of the involved parties without court action.

11. Law To secure or assign (property or title) by legal action.

v.intr.

1. To discontinue moving and come to rest in one place. - I have been on the GO for a couple years. It may be time to let myself catchup with my own life that seems to have just run right out of my hands.

2. To move downward; sink or descend, especially gradually: Darkness settled over the fields. Dust settled in the road.

3.

a. To become clear by the sinking of suspended particles. Used of liquids.

b. To be separated from a solution or mixture as a sediment.

c. To become compact by sinking, as sediment when stirred up.

4.

a. To establish one's residence: settled in Canada.

b. To become established or localized: The cold settled in my chest.

5. To reach a decision; determine: We finally settled on a solution to the problem. See Synonyms at decide.

6. To come to an agreement, especially to resolve a lawsuit out of court.

7.

a. To provide compensation for a claim.

b. To pay a debt.

n.

A long wooden bench with a high back, often including storage space beneath the seat.

Phrasal Verbs:

settle down

1. To begin living a stable and orderly life: He settled down as a farmer with a family.

2. To become calm or composed.

settle for

To accept in spite of incomplete satisfaction: had to settle for a lower wage than the one requested.

As a culture we have come to view the term "SETTLING" as a failure to live a "BETTER" life. But settling isn't  a sign of  failure, cowardness, or fear of the unknown. Settling can also be a choice to begin living a stable and orderly life. It can be a choice to restore calmness or order to the life we are living. I for one anxiously await the opportunity:  To put my life into order, arrange, or fix definitely, as desired.

What would I do without my GOOGLE SEARCHes...lol