Have you ever noticed that there’s always some reason NOT to change?
Here’s a pretty terrible example for you: Years ago I was in an unhappy relationship. The boy I was with was great and I knew that he loved me but I also knew that he didn’t actually know HOW to love me. I found myself feeling hurt, misunderstood, pigeon-holed, and lonely most of the time. I tried to communicate the things that I felt and what I needed but he would always sweep it under the rug and forget about it. One summer I decided that I’d had it. I was going to break up with him. What followed was a string of reasons to stay. First it was a concert we had tickets for. Then it was a trip we had planned. So on and so on… Eventually, he ended it after many years and many reasons to stay.
I’ve tried to learn from this experience.
But there is always a reason NOT to change.
Say, for instance, that you want to quit smoking. Maybe when you start you feel pretty good but then you have a couple of drinks and ALL YOU WANT IS A CIGARETTE. Okay, NBD. I had managed at one point to get myself down to half a pack per week and that was ONLY smoking while drinking. Then maybe you go on a vacation and want to be able to smoke when your husband smokes because of the high stress of driving. After vacation, maybe you realize that you’re going to have to stop drinking in order to stop smoking, at least for a bit…
Except your birthday party is coming.
Then the Fourth, which is totally a drinking holiday.
Then a shitty day at work.
Then you realize you haven’t had your favorite summer beer yet. :(Nectar of the Goddess)
Or your favorite summer cocktail. (Gin and tonic.)
Then it’s a game night.
Then it’s a friendcation.
A couple of weeks on is a possible camping trip with your bestie. You’ll want to drink and smoke then.
A couple weeks after that you’ll be on your second honeymoon and of course you’ll want to drink then so obviously you’ll be smoking. (Last time we went, we got drunk on free samples and then had THE BEST PIZZA EVER.)
So, maybe right now isn’t the time to change? Maybe I should hold out until we get back from vacation? Or do I just dry out between events?
Diets are pretty similar. You can’t start until Monday but then it’s a Monday.
The Rachaelness 