Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Allowing a Straw to Break the Camel's Back

Many little things go by unnoticed. They may be so insignificant that we don't pay much or any attention to them because we think they are not important enough to make a difference. Maybe it's the small annoyances of a partner that you put up with but haven't talked to them about. Or shoes that are a little bit too tight, but "they'll stretch out." Or hitting snooze every day so you're in a rush to work, arriving frazzled and maybe even a few minutes late. Maybe it's even just leaning on one hip or slouching because you don't feel like standing properly. Day by day, month by month, year by year, decade by decade. They become a part of your life, though unintended, and continue on. 

Until one day, one final day where those little things have accumulated into something that is intolerable. It is the final straw. Now you find yourself in some big trouble. You are in an unhappy relationship, your back hurts because your feet now have bunions from your shoes, your neck and shoulders hurt from slouching, you've gotten fired from your job because your performance has declined so much, and your health and sleep are screwed up because you're always stressed. 

That day comes, and you feel like you've been blind-sided. What did you do to deserve this? When did the relationship start to fail? Why are you in such pain? Why are you so unhappy? 

Because you didn't nip it in the bud. 

Change is easiest at the beginning, when the thing you want to change is minor. Change becomes difficult when that thing is big. 

Make it a habit to change things right when you notice them. Nip problems in the bud. Practice good habits. Speak up for what you want. 


This is how you shape your life, little by little. 

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