Insanity. Doing the same thing over and expecting different results.
“If you are defeated once and tell yourself you will overcome, but carry on as before, know in the end you’ll be so ill and weakened that eventually you won’t even notice your mistake and will begin to rationalize your behavior”-Epictetus
What does this mean??? For me, one example is knowing that I need to lose weight. I know what to do such as eating food that provides nourishment. Limiting myself to eating only at meals with no snacks in between. Getting involved with some type of physical activity. Not buying the junk food that I gorge on. But, and here’s the kicker! but as long as I don’t change my behavior, thoughts, actions, I ain’t gonna lose that weight! It’s so easy to rationalize. “I will start my diet, exercise plan on Monday-I can’t POSSIBLY start it today because it’s the middle of the week, I’m going to be eating at somebody’s home over the weekend so there’s no point in starting my healthy eating habits and then breaking them 2 days later”. I can’t exercise because then I’ll have to wake up earlier to work it into my day. I don’t have the right clothes for working out. I need to put together a playlist of music to listen to so I can be motivated by the beat! I can’t start eating healthy because of all the popcorn, chips, soda, simple carbs, etc. that I have in the house and I can’t throw them away because that is a waste of food. All the starving kiddos in the world, you know.
Another thing that can bite me in the tuchus is eventually telling myself that I can have a glass of wine or a beer with dinner. I can try another drug, as long as it’s not crack cocaine. I can drink “moderately”. This will take me right back to the place I was for so many years. AND it can lead to more destructive outcomes. I know I KNOW I have another relapse in me, BUT do I have another recovery? I DON’T WANT TO FIND OUT! Falling prey to rationalizing away my sobriety led me to relapses in the past. I don’t want to go there again! Would I like a drink? Yes. BUT I like the clean and sober me more. To thine own self be true.
“FAILURE is a part of life we have little choice over. Learning from failure, on the other hand, is optional. We have to choose to learn. We must CONSCIOUSLY opt to do things differently-to tweak and change until we actually get the results we are after. BUT that’s HARD”-The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday (emphasis mine)
FAIL. First Attempt In Learning. If we can learn from our “failures”, our “mistakes” have we really failed? The next time you attempt it, you’d better change the process, or you’ll be right back where you started.
“Sticking with the same unsuccessful pattern is easy. It doesn’t take any thought or any additional effort, which is probably why most people do it.” ”-The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday (emphasis mine)
So are you going to keep doing the same thing over and over and over again, but expect different results? Or are you going to put the work into changing the process so the results are to your liking?!!
Until next time…..
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