Monday, July 27, 1998

Control your consequences

Do you pay a price for your actions, or do you reap rewards from them? Almost everything that comes your way is a result of something else. Every action you take will bring consequences.

Suppose there’s a lamp in your house that is controlled by a switch on the wall. You flip the switch on, and the lamp lights up. No problem. You don’t sit and wish for the light to come on, or hope that someone will turn it on for you. You just get up and flip the switch. But what if you didn’t want the light to come on? Would you tear up the wall and remove the wiring that runs from the switch to the lamp? Of course not. You would simply avoid turning on the switch.

Too often, we waste time and effort trying to sever the connection between actions and their consequences. Consider the popularity of gambling, lotteries, and get rich quick schemes, all aimed at those who seek to obtain positive results without positive effort. Just as popular are fad diets, which promise that you can “eat all you want without gaining weight."

But the connection between actions and their consequences is not so easily broken. The most direct route to the results you desire, is to take the actions which have been proven to bring those results. Doesn’t it make sense to get your consequences working for you, instead of against you?

— Ralph Marston

Practice       Positive experience

Copyright ©1998 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.