virgin islands scene

Thought is the sculptor who can create the person you want to be.
-- Henry David Thoreau
 

 

Wednesday, July 21, 1999

Temptation

It is tempting to think that you can have something for nothing. It is tempting to think that you can take shortcuts. It is tempting to think that you can avoid the negative consequences of your destructive behavior.

When we’re tempted to do what we know we should not, it is a deception. We see the reward, obsess over it, and mentally build it up bigger than life, completely out of proportion to reality. At the same time we fail to see the significantly bigger downside.

Being positive does not mean ignoring the negative consequences of our actions. Living positively comes from avoiding the negative consequences by refraining from the destructive behavior which surely leads to them.

The next time you are tempted to act against your own good judgment, remember that it is a lie, a deception for which you will ultimately and unavoidably suffer. Be positive by clearly seeing the negative and staying away from it.

— Ralph Marston

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Copyright ©1999 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.