I once read a definition of insanity that went something like this:
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”.
Yep… And just how many of us do this?
We get up, make virtually the same breakfast, go to the same job via the same route, we do the same job, we eat the same lunch, we do more of the same job, we take the same route home, eat the same dinner (or one of the small selection of dinners we choose from every day), watch the same TV shows and go to bed. Then the next day we get up and do it all again.
And for some reason, we wonder “Why do I feel so unfulfilled?”
It’s funny. And tragic – when put in context of just how short and precious life is.
Are we waiting for something outside of us to change? For someone to come along and break our routine for us?
Usually.
I have no doubt that life gives us prompts to make a change when our lives aren’t on track.
Sometimes they come as a light touch – like a feather. If we don’t listen, it’ll hurt a bit more – as if a stone has been thrown. And if we still don’t listen, then it’ll be like being hit by a Mack Truck.
What do I mean by that?
Well, you might find your clothes getting tighter and you might think “Oh, I need to lose some weight.” That’s the feather.
If you don’t take action, the next prompt might be when you try walking up a hill and find yourself huffing and puffing, feeling dizzy and having to sit down to recover. That’s the stone.
And then if you still fail to take any action, the next prompt is given. The heart attack. That’s the Mack Truck.
For some, this is the final call to action.
If you are lucky to survive this particular prompt, you will probably now finally decide to make a change and take some action. Change of diet, exercise, or whatever it takes to get your weight down and your fitness level up.
But it’s not just about our health. This analogy can be applied to any area of our lives.
The relationship that is slowly dying. The job that is in an industry that is shifting. The personal debt that is accumulating.
It’s not as though a relationship suddenly ends without any indication that there was a problem. We see news stories of whole industries shutting down or heading off-shore, but the decline can take years – they don’t just happen overnight. And debts don’t just suddenly appear – they grow over time.
Let’s face it. There are signs all along the way. The feather. The stone. Then the Mack Truck.
But it’s up to us to take action.
No-one else is coming to take the action that you need to take for you.
Pay attention to the prompts you are receiving. Take action when you feel the feather – that gentle nudge.
Don’t just sit back and wait for the Mack Truck.
