ONE BIT, BITE, OR BYTE AT A TIME – 4 easy rules
Monday, Jan. 6, 2020
Massive change, movement, building – think Grand Canyon, think glaciers, think oysters build pearls – none of these are quick short processes, yet their value and consequences are enormous.
My point is that building something valuable, large or small, can be beautiful and essential – but it is neither conceived, created, or completed quickly.
The same is true for anything important we want to do with our lives, lifestyles, business enterprises, or health; changing any one thing on any given day is difficult ~ unless it doesn’t matter.
For example: stop wearing brown socks
That’s easy for me because I don’t wear brown socks; not so, for someone whose entire wardrobe is brown, their shoes are brown, and they love brown – so it’s tougher for them.
Another example: stop smoking
For a non-smoker, no problem. For an occasional smoker, probably not difficult. Tougher than the brown socks issues, for someone addicted to/habituated to smoking. It is their hell, they need to go through it ~ otherwise, the heart/lung health issues will shorten their life and, far worse, require them to be on oxygen in their later years, struggling for the breath no tank can adequately give them. I paint a bleak picture (I’m underestimating) of the future of the smoker who doesn’t quit.
I’ve not smoked since my unsuccessful experiment with smoking at age 12; my addiction was alcohol, my story mild compared to many, but sobriety has kept me alive these past 33 years. Booze is far more sinister; alcohol is a killer. It is more socially acceptable than smoking, and even more deadly – it appears to be a modest cost social prop, but when you consider the cost of medical treatment, car wrecks, liver disease, obituary notices, divorce lawyers, giving up ½ or more of everything you have, to say nothing of the costs for psychologists for yourself, spouse, children, and descendants – suddenly smoking looks like the cheaper option.
Now, if brown socks or alcohol consumption aren’t your problem – what is?
And whatever problem you need to tackle: too much weight, ill-health, not enough money, failing business, leaky roof – don’t the same issue come into play?
My solution is simple:
- Ask for help
- If you can’t, or won’t, ask for help – help yourself; don’t excuse it as helpless or hopeless – make a choice, help yourself or see #1
- Don’t give up easily, don’t give up on the task, don’t give up on yourself; if you are likely to give up, see #1
- If all else fails, see #1
The End.
