Habits are difficult to build but once established into a routine, easily maintained. The trick is to have a grand vision of where you want to be and get back on the road as quickly as possible if you get bumped off.
Culture of Futility
Sometimes I feel like a priest preaching the virtues of abstinence in the middle of an all out orgy. I am only starting to connect the dots after years of study and from speaking with others whom I consider addicts… discovering small glimpses from societies around the world. So far, I have come to realize that we have a very large scale problem in this world, that that is a culture of futility.
I was having a conversation with a friend a few days ago about what we learned over the weekend, they told me xyz and I replied by saying that I learned there is a 21% increase in breast cancer for those who drink alcohol on a regular basis. Yes, I am quite the conversationalist aren’t I! The answer wasn’t, “that’s horrible, I will try to quit drinking when I get back from work”, the answer was “ya, but how much you got to drink to get to those numbers”. This struck me as quite odd, this is a very sane and intelligent person but by their answer, they are trying to find out how much drinking they can get away without acquiring this disease.
You see the same thing in smokers, I am not shy about asking them why they smoke, I asked one person why they don’t go on the patch so they can avoid lung disease and a host of other PREVENTABLE and KNOWN diseases that are lining up inside of them. Their answer, “I don’t want to wear a patch, I want to feel the cigarette hanging from my mouth”. Again, a totally illogical answer to a straight forward question.
When I was in university, you where the odd man out if you didn’t go binge drinking on the weekend, if you managed to stay sober during the week, as soon as Friday came around you would hear “I am getting so wasted tonight”. From both women and men… on Monday, they would look “totally wasted” and thus, survive sober for a few more days till Friday night came about again.
On a larger scale, look at our governments, other then Muslim countries where alcohol is banned (but still easy to acquire), most of the world allows for the relatively free distribution of as much alcohol as you can afford. Why? Alcohol is a depressant, leaches good stuff out of the body and has a huge negative social impact. China has a state monopoly on cigarettes, they are producing and distributing those to all its citizens en mass. We all know cigarettes are bad yet governments around the world took FOREVER and even now, excess feet dragging is occurring regarding this horrible product. Why? Thailand bans protein powder (which helps athletes) yet doesn’t ban cigarettes nor alcohol. Australia bans creatine and a host of beneficial supplements used by athletes yet, from living here, alcohol and cigarettes freely available and advertised. The United States bans ephedra based products and is starting to clamp down on multi-vitamins (ei: supplements) yet does very little in regards to harmful products as mentioned previously.
The Grander Picture
There is a very large percentage of people in this world who are very unhappy with their lives, sure, they have a car, a house, kids and friends but still, they find a desire, a need, to form habits that not only provide no benefit but are actually detrimental to the lives they enjoy. These negative habits seem to be re-enforced within society, with the positive ones swiped away ever so gently to not cause too much commotion. Most people on the street simply don’t have a clear vision of where their lives are going, they focus on getting by week by week… before they know it, they are in the hospital prematurely because of the habits they have acquired throughout a lifetime. Look at people in the eyes as you walk around, you will notice many seem totally clueless about the environment around them. It still amazes me how many people at the checkout counter never even bother looking up at the customer who is giving them money! I cannot figure this out as when I speak even to store managers, the same complete avoidance of eye contact is there as well. Puzzling…
It’s Not all Bad!
On the other end of the spectrum are people like me, who focus on trying to change the world for the better, who are constantly striving to perfect not only themselves but those around them. We are the designated drivers at your parties, we are the guys who don’t need maternity cloths or the women who are breaking new social barriers. Most people on the street consider bodybuilders to be freaks of nature yet don’t seem to be bothered by people weighting 2-3x a normal persons weight. Most people think it’s too hard going to the gym and eating a proper diet yet these same people can be seen sitting in front of a television for hours on end eating chips while downing pop. There is a wall in our society, between those who get it and those who choose not to. Buying 200 dollars worth of liquor for a weekend party isn’t a big deal but people consider you nuts if you buy that same amount in health supplements such as protein, creatine, BCAA etc. Why?
But there is desire for change
There is a huge desire by those who don’t take care of themselves to gain the body and health benefits of those who do. Look at the scams out there, from Mannatech to Atkins, Weight Watchers to Jenny Craig… these people really want to be healthy, they simply haven’t experienced enough pain yet, living the life they lead now to make a life altering switch to the good side. They throw money at problems and only end up poorer, they throw away time reading books but only end up forgetting to apply what they have learned and they watch television telling them another way of life is possible but simply choose to continue sitting till the next program comes on. People seem to be happy about dreaming of their ideal health but don’t have enough desire to take the first steps towards turning this dream into reality.
The Bottom Line
You cannot hide from habits, positive or negative, they will enter your life so you must make a conscious effort to selectively pick which ones become you.
I am unsure where this comes from but I have yet to date an Asian woman who isn’t obsessed with cleaning out their ears on a regular basis. Well, thanks to this new wonderful USB powered ear scope, they can now amuse themselves even more to make sure their ears are 100% clean.
I wish I got a dollar for every new product that was released on the marketplace that was a scam because I would be a millionaire many times over by now. The latest fad out there hitting UK streets is called Serum No. 7, great marketing name but a scam no less.
Frustration of a government bureaucrat with the lack of efficient medical services to the poorest in his country of Ecuador, Dr. Rodas starts up the Cinterandes Foundation in 1995 with a group of like minded medical professionals.