Take Your Lumps Like A Man…Or A Real Woman.
These days, there are many ideologies; many voices clamoring to be heard and to speak their “truth.”
Technology has opened the door even wider for freedom of expression, and in many ways, it’s a great thing.
But, what is the outcry that is birthed from this ever-expanding cry for freedom?
It’s a demand for respect.
People want the freedom to choose, but they also want others to respect their decisions.
You can’t demand this respect while failing to respect your own decisions.
People want the freedom to choose and decide for themselves, but they don’t want the responsibility or consequences of their choices.
They don’t want the recompense or pain of their choices.
Decisions and consequences walk hand in hand.
You can’t simply do what you want, and expect someone else to bear the burden of your choice.
A few months ago, I was speaking to a 27-year-old woman, who told me she has stomach problems.
“Don’t you think that it may have something to do with what you are eating?” I asked this young Natural Health Practitioner.
She did acknowledge that the problem was what she chooses to eat, but in the same breath, she stated that she didn’t care.
She was getting medication from her doctor for her stomach.
And, she wants to eat whatever she wants because she loves her food.
“What if choosing to eat this way will shorten your life?”
“I don’t care. I love my food, and I’m going to eat my food and enjoy my life.”
As I looked into her constantly swollen eyes, I knew she was already sick; far sicker than she even knew.
Her enjoyment of her life is not going to be as long as she seems to think.
What I couldn’t believe is that she is not at all deterred by the story she told me about her own mother’s failed battle with her health.
The point she seemed to be making is that her mother, who had lupus; had been on medication for years, and, having finally gotten sick of that; determined that she would stop all the medications and just enjoy her life.
So allegedly, according to her daughter, she enjoyed her life for four years before leaving this realm.
However, I fail to see how breaking free of the medications that are allegedly sustaining you (while poisoning you at the same time); without a radical dietary change to improve your health, would possibly lead to anything related to enjoyment, or having a life.
All I see is pain.
Fast forward to a few nights ago. While co-facilitating a mind-body group with some teenagers, we did a session on mindful eating.
During the session, one of the young ladies got up several times to walk outside.
She was obviously embarrassed by the fact that she was having a reaction to a piece of milk chocolate she had eaten.
She later stated that she really liked the chocolate, but that she is lactose intolerant.
Yet, right behind that statement, she said that she still wanted more of the chocolate despite the discomfort it caused her.
I told her that if she did not stop eating things that contained milk, that discomfort would turn into serious pain later down the road.
She shook her head in acknowledgment, but it was clear that she was not prepared to give up the very thing that was causing her grief.
Just like the first young lady, she acted like she was willing to deal with the consequences, but the reality is, while those consequences bring only slight discomfort, nobody cares.
No one looks ahead.
There’s no forecasting of the future.
It is only when the snowball of discomfort has rolled far enough down the mountain of one’s life, and has become an avalanche of pain, related to sickness or disease, or simply lack of proper care; does the person suddenly become concerned.
At that point, they seek sympathy, but often still refuse to take responsibility for the choices that placed them in a position to receive that pain or sickness and disease into their bodies.
Stop ignoring the messages your body is sending to you.
It is the mindset of irresponsibility that put them there, and only a conversion into a responsible mindset has the real possibility of getting them unstuck from the place they have trapped themselves in.
If you place yourself in a position that causes you unnecessary duress and drama; why involve everyone else?
Deal with the mess you made.
If you are trying to evolve in your mindset and take responsibility for your life, know this.
God honors intention and effort.
Come correct, and do the work to get it right.
No one ever said it would be easy.
