Every decision made reveals one’s priorities. It is amazing how many people say they value something, but their actions reveal that is not true. A woman says she wants true love, but chases men who are known players. A person says they love their horse, but neglect and mistreat it. A man claims to enjoy improving his vehicle, but always watches TV in nights and weekends while the car project gets put on the back burner. Are these people lying to themselves? Or are they too weak to resist temptations?
We need to be honest with ourselves as to why we make various decisions in life. Are there valid reasons for our thoughts and actions, or just excuses? I’ll give a personal example. I tell people that I love nature and hiking, which is true. I never regret time spent hiking through a forest or city park. However, I don’t do that nearly as often as I could or should. Why not? Excuses that come to mind… No time (not true, my days are not packed full of essential things to do.)
Too tired ( but hiking gets the blood flowing, heart rate up, and lungs pumping. All of these rejuvenates the body and mind.)
Too far to drive to a trailhead…(but it’s no trouble going 20 miles to a movie theater.)
The weather’s lousy (that’s what rain jackets, hoodies, sunscreen, hats, etc are for.)
My knee might get sore (it’s sore all the time anyway, a hike isn’t likely to worsen the pain. In fact, it will likely strengthen the surrounding muscles.)
There are dangerous animals in nature (most dangerous critters don’t come out until nightfall. They rarely even want to be close to people, let alone stalk them. The animal to be most afraid of is another human.)
Once I get hiking, all the excuses melt away and I’m glad to be there. My current favorite hike is Mt Peak, a short 1+ mile jaunt that climbs over a thousand feet fairly steeply. It usually takes me about 28-32 minutes, including several short rest breaks along the way. I’ve done it often enough that I can just appreciate the scenery around me, concentrate on improving my hiking speed, or let my mind wander as my body goes on autopilot. No worries about getting lost on the many side-trails or wondering how much longer to the top.
There are legitimate reasons to do or not do various activities. The trick is sorting out the excuses from the reasons. Sometimes, it’s a fine line that divide the two. A person with a peanut allergy can be justifiably leery of trying a new food dish. While another person might avoid any new food because of a slight chance of it tasting icky. I would call that an excuse.
I’ve mentioned this in other blog posts, but it bears repeating. I’m flabbergasted at people who never save any money towards future goals. Any money received is spent within days or hours, often on addictions or luxuries. And then they complain of being poor and want to borrow money to pay bills. I know many who are like this. Their excuses for being short on money are many. That dress was on sale! I deserved a trip to Vegas! The kids wanted new iPads! I’m tired of cooking and prefer eating at fast food restaurants! I needed those liquor shots to make it through the week!
I really don’t believe that most of the poor have to be broke so much of the time. Much of their problem is poor decision-making, due to making excuses instead of facing facts. Your apartment costs too much? Maybe move to a smaller, cheaper place. Your job doesn’t pay enough? Maybe you are not working hard enough to get promoted or to get a raise. Your car keeps breaking down? Maybe do some basic maintenance or fix it yourself, using YouTube videos as your guide. Why do I have to be sick so often? Perhaps eating more sensibly, exercising a little, stopping a tobacco or alcohol habit, will help you feel better (and will save you some money).
I am not unintelligent and generally have no good excuse for poor decisions that I make. Oh, I have plenty of excuses, just not good ones. I fight against my chronic nature; that of depression, procrastination, and hedonism. I win some and lose some battles. I can blame mistakes in judgement on my Asperger’s Syndrome tendencies, past injuries, age, baldness, having blue eyes, etc. Or, I can man up and acknowledge that I just didn’t feel like doing the right thing at that time. It does feel good, in a different way, when I reject excuses that spring to mind and find myself doing what I ought to. Self-discipline improves with practice. Even writing blog posts regularly is hard to maintain, but if I write 2 or more per week, no matter what, it becomes more of a joy and less of a chore. A form of meditation and self discovery, almost! So, less excuses for me, valid reasons only.
iggyvandweller 