INSTANT GRATIFICATION: WHY SO SLOW

Instant gratification: “What do we want?”

“Everything.”

“When do we want it?”

“Now.”

“Let’s re-set and I’ll get back to you.”

The idea to make changes in life comes with a few hurdles.

The idea to change comes first. Then the work.

Unless you’re one of those who makes the same birthday wish every year, the same New Year’s resolutions, and get angry that nothing ever changes, you’re skipping a vital part.

The work.

An idea is a good place to start. Making a plan is a nice follow-up.

Then actually following through? Whoa, what?

Instant Gratification To Quit Smoking Goes Like This:

You look in the mirror one morning and notice you’re aging rather fast.

The bags under your eyes go away if you pull your cheek with your fingers.

Then you notice the nicotine stains on your fingers.

No big deal, but they stink like tobacco.

Look, nicotine stained teeth. And not yellow. More of a brown.

You might think about plastic surgery and tooth veneer.

Then you notice faint lines in your face you’ve never seen. You trace them with your stinky yellow cigarette fingers then realize you’ve seen this face before.

It’s every face of every old smoker who didn’t die early from a smoking related illness.

If you’re thinking lung cancer, so am I.

And no one likes thinking about lung cancer, or any cancer.

Guess what? Cigarettes don’t care. They’re busy doing their work.

Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

If you care, you try to stop smoking. The Mayo Clinic has thoughts on how to stop smoking.

Hit that link and see if any of the tactics would work for you, or a loved one.

Pro Tip: there won’t be instant gratification.

Instant Family Planning

You can tell which families are planned and which are not.

The planned family has one child, maybe two. Some if it’s related to the idea of creating our replacements.

More than that is just showing off. Or someone got carried away with things.

Condoms are a family planning tool for men and women. If dude isn’t packing, dudette needs to be.

If she is, does the dude take her word that the condom hasn’t been compromised with a needle?

He probably ought to if they’re in a trusting caring relationship like all teenagers in high school.

What are you laughing about, some high school relationships are mature.

A girl I knew in high school once said she never used bookmarks.

“If it’s a good book you’ll know where you are.”

She was a good girl and she knew right where she was.

More important, she knew where I was, too.

The more we talked the more I realized she had plans that went beyond the two of us.

By the time she thought I might be part of her plans, I was certain I wasn’t.

Saved her time and trouble. I know a handful of women I’ve saved time and trouble for.

Future Gratification

If a man comes on TV telling you he’ll fix things he thinks are broken, pay attention.

Agreeing with someone who hates you to the point of throwing dirt on you is not a good partner.

If he call national media ‘Fake News’ when it sides against him, pay attention.

Finding yourself with a man who draws a line through truth and fabrication because his views are the only ones that matter is a problem.

As an adult, and possible a parent, you’ve faced problems and solved them with the help of people you know. They give time and advice and help in ways you need.

When a bloated man in a blue business suit puts on a red hat and pretends he is one of you, he’s not.

He feels the instant gratification of a crowd uninterested in process and communication by yelling, “Lock Her Up.”

They’re still on the bandwagon, but the pronoun has changed to, “Lock Him Up.”

Florida is calling with an opinion.