Disclaimer: There is a slight difference between being kind to someone and being nice to someone. Being nice is telling people what they want to hear; being kind is telling someone what they need to hear. This post is the latter. It may offend you. It still comes from the heart, written with love.
The psychological economy of instant gratification of the American population over the last few decades is starting to catch up with us. See how many of these you are guilty of doing in the past ten years:
Using a credit card [icon name=”check-circle” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]
Starting a diet [icon name=”check-circle” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]
Drinking alcohol [icon name=”check-circle” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]
Using tobacco in some form [icon name=”check-circle” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]
Fluctuating between an active lifestyle, and not-so-active lifestyle [icon name=”check-circle” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]
Accumulating less and less quality sleep [icon name=”check-circle” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]
Most of you have done most of these. It doesn’t make you a bad person. But it can lead to a habit of “your brain writing a check that your ass can’t cash” mentality.
It is a mindset of do now, pay later. Examples include financing a 65″ television (when your 2014 model still works fine); starting a diet and exercise program in January (because of the gluttony of the holidays); swearing that you will never drink again (after you streak down the highway)…you get the idea. At some point, you are going to have to pay the price for your past behaviors, whether they are acute (a night of hard drinking) or chronic (sleep debt), something has to give.
We are so good at being reactive, we have forgotten how to be proactive. There is a rush of adrenaline (no pun intended) and other chemicals when we make these lifestyle withdrawals. In an effort to repeat those feelings, we get caught in a web of repeating those withdrawals, and shoving down the fact that the payback will come later. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the end of the month, maybe next year, but it will come LATER. We are a nation of LATER.
I will join the gym LATER, but right now I am too busy.
I will pay off this _______ LATER, but right now, I want it. That’s what this credit card is for, right?
I will start this diet LATER, but right now, I will just buy bigger pants.
I will sleep LATER, but right now, I have to get this paperwork finished.
I will chase my dreams LATER, but right now, I have a full house, work long hours and put my needs second.
*** Some LATERS are necessary as they are sacrifices as part of a greater process to make the Big Picture become a reality . This is different.
Not only will these all catch up to you, and a payment will be needed, the worst result of these becomes an even more horrifying outcome: REGRET.
REGRET that you never got in shape.
REGRET that you are in financial debt.
REGRET that you have become an alcoholic.
REGRET that you didn’t chase an opportunity, dream, business, risk.
Frankly, I am sick of it. I am just as busy as you; I have the same 24 hours that you do; I am not willing to live with REGRET. Are you?
When it comes to health and fitness, this is the mantra~
I want to eat as bad as possible, do as little as possible and look as good as possible,
This may not be said, but it is thought. This stuff is hard, and you will self-talk your way out of it any chance you get. We are not wired to lose weight and exercise; it is in our biology to gain weight and preserve our energy, not expend it. We only need enough calories and enough activity to procreate, in terms of our species’ existence.
Consider that the odds to even become a human being are 400,000,000,000 to 1. There are no greater odds you will face than those. Now, consider that you have about 75 years on this earth, give or take, to do something with your life. For some of you, myself included, that means that you are on the “back nine” of your time on earth. Stop with all the LATER bullshit, and start with the NOW.
Here are easy NOW things to incorporate ~
Move as often as possible, in as many ways as possible. In your home, outside, at a gym, just move!
Stop all negative internal dialogue. You are not ugly. You are not dumb. You are not too old. You are not special. You are not that scared.
Believe in yourself and make your dent in the universe.
Relax. The world does not revolve around you and your problems. A year from now, those problems won’t even be remembered.
Determine what your legacy will be and what you want to be remembered for at your funeral. Reverse engineer and start doing that stuff now. This is heavy shit so take some time.
I will wait.