This really got me thinking.
I was telling an acquaintance of mine who wanted to lose weight about how a bunch of us had made a lifestyle change, eating paleo and working out using Crossfit and MovNat principles. They were interested in it but their response struck me as odd. I realized that I’ve heard it a million different times before, in different ways. Here is the phrase we all use in a general sense:
“Oh I’d love to [try new thing] but it just doesn’t fit with [current lifestyle choice].”
Here are some examples of this you’ve probably heard too.
- Oh I’d love to start my own company but I don’t have the time (because of current job).
- Oh I’d love to travel but I can’t do that with children, pets, etc..
- Oh I’d love to do a zen retreat but I just couldn’t sit still for that long.
Whenever you hear this kind of statement, you should realize that they say two things about you.
The first is that you just made a choice. You said you’d love this new thing, but that you prefer the old thing. In this case, you’ve chosen the status quo. There’s no harm in that, but don’t complain about how you have nothing exciting in your life if this is the kind of statement you’re regularly making. You’ve chosen it, now live with the consequences.
The second is that you probably haven’t done any research. Everywhere out there there are families who travel with children, or who find the time to start their own company on the side. Your two seemingly incompatible things probably work fine together, and others have done it. If a blind man can walk the 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail, then your limitations are absurd, and you know it.
The interesting thing is that everyone is both subject to these statements, and simultaneously have some of their own that they don’t even know about. What are your favourites?
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