I picked up this concept in a parenting book or child development class, or somewhere like that. I can’t remember anymore. But it struck me and is just so true. I think on this idea probably daily, raising little ones. But this could apply to so many other areas and most certainly to becoming #alittlelesstoxic
Here’s an example from my everyday life. I tell the kids it time to go to bed. They whine and ask for 5 more minutes. I’m tired and don’t really want to deal with it so I relent. At the end of the 5 minutes they whine again. I can give in again or now follow through. Follow through might be even more of a challenge at this point because I’ve just communicated to them that whining and complaining may lead to me changing my mind. I was tired and now i may have to work even harder to do the thing I was going to have to do anyway. The more I repeat this process, the more whining and complaining I can expect with my requests and expectations. I could have followed through right away and then shown them they can rely on my words and give them the comfort also of knowing that they can know what to expect from me. This can provide security and stability for them and overall contribute to a happier and healthier home. This does not mean I am to never be flexible. It’s just a really simplified example and one I deal with on the regular.
Apply this to any other area I want, really. Health. Wellness. Finances. Fitness. Faith. Self control. Education. Relationships. . . .
I can do the easy and comfortable thing right now and not deal with something that takes effort or makes me uncomfortable. This will most times ultimately lead to not having the peace and freedom I could have. If I choose to fight past my discomfort and press on to do the challenging thing for the present, I can look forward to more peace in the long term.
I could dismiss or ignore symptoms and keep doing the same old things that aren’t really helping. Or I could lean in, make some adjustments, and get support. It will be more challenging at first. Maybe even for a while. If it helps me to find more energy, joy, freedom, and life, that short term discomfort is so well worth it.