Lessons for Living
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Do you always look for the easy way to do something?
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Do you want to improve your life? Do you want things to go better? Here is "one" secret of how you can change. "Do things the hard way." Don't look for easy answers and don't take shortcuts. If you have to write a book report for school don't search out the Cliff Notes or the Reader's Digest Abridged version. Read the real thing, the whole book. It may be more difficult and take more time, but you will learn more for your effort. Do you want financial security? You could buy a lottery ticket. It "is" possible to win. Or, you could try the hard way of developing a budget and sticking to it. Use your discipline to save some money each week, and as you control your impulsive spending, financial independence will come. Suppose that you want to lose weight? You could go on a diet or join a gym. Both ways will work, but you might also try adding doing things the hard way to your daily schedule. For example, you could stop riding the elevator and start climbing stairs. Get into the habit of taking the stairway wherever you go, and you will not only get free exercise, but you may save time as well. When at the mall don't drive around and around looking for a parking spot close to the entrance. Plenty of spaces are always available—far away. Choose one of these and stop wasting gas. Take a walk and get your free exercise. Furthermore, if you stop using so many labor saving devices and start using "your" energy—doing things the hard way—you may find your weight becomes easier to control. What else can you do the hard way? Perhaps cook a "real" meal from scratch rather than have a TV dinner? Not only will it be more nutritious, but you also receive the additional benefit of a sense of accomplishment. Sometime a shortcut helps. It saves time and gets the same results. Think of all those useful shortcuts on your computer keyboard. At other times, a shortcut compromises quality. Be careful of too frequently trying to do things the easy way. Don't jeopardize your success by trying to avoid effort. Sometimes the best way to do something is to do it the hard way, and the surprise is that occasionally, like when you finally stop circling the parking lot, the hard way is actually the easier and quicker way.©2001 Daniel H. Johnston. All Rights Reserved. |
