" If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins. " -Benjamin Franklin
Pulled in all directions, incapable of sacrificing the now for the later. Don’t ask a tempted mind what they want the most, their immediate desire will surely take over their long-term goal. Living in a society where jumping from one distraction to another has become nothing short of a way of life, putting aside our hunger for instant gratification is not a habit we’ve taught ourselves to cultivate.
Unable to make peace with the idea that we can’t have it all – we relentlessly run around looking for anything that screams instantaneous pleasure. We’re experts at justifying our unhealthy behaviors. "It was worth it while it lasted " has become our favorite comforter. Yet the truth is that it was never worth it to begin with, as tomorrow we’ll still wake up feeling empty, shitty, and further away from what we need the most.
We’re embarrassed to admit to ourselves that we have lost control over our own mind. We even go so far as to install mobile applications to track our addictive internet use, follow religiously diets and avoid looking at appetizing deserts, refrain from crossing paths with attractive people of the opposite sex, and the list goes on. Either we obsess, or either we suppress. Striking a middle ground is curiously harder than remaining in the extremes.
When temptation aggressively grabs us by the collar, we lose our rationality. We forget that saying "YES" to whatever enticing offer is sitting in front of us at this very moment means saying "NO" to the moral guidelines we have previously promised ourselves we would follow. A moment of weakness is all it takes to turn a wise into a fool. My long-term goals can wait – my immediate urges can’t, or so we think.
Too bad for us that self-discipline can’t be added to our shopping cart full of junk. We consume trash on all sorts of levels. Porn, drugs, gossip, food, internet, you name it. Lucky us that our device got close enough to turn our weak spots against us. The only way out of hell is through. Face the discomfort. Sacrifice the temporary for the permanent. Build up your discipline, especially when you feel like giving in. The only form of abundance this world needs is an abundance in love and compassion.