In a section dealing with consequences in Cameron C. Tayor’s great book Cameron C. Taylor, Does Your Bag Have Holes? 24 Truths That Lead to Financial and Spiritual Freedom, he snaps the reader awake with the following quote by Gary Ryan Blair: “Every choice carries a consequence. For better or worse, each choice is the unavoidable consequence of its predecessor. There are not exceptions. If you can accept that a bad choice carries the seed of its own punishment, why not accept the fact that a good choice yields desirable fruit?”
As parents, we try to instill this basic lesson into our children. If they step outside of the lines, they face some sort of penalty. Whether it’s time spent in a “time out” chair, going to bed early, or the loss of a favorite program – we, in our own way, get our kharma on and let them know the reality of consequences.
I suppose where we all mess up most is consistency. As the quote above says, “There are no exceptions.” – But, parents get tired, don’t we?!!
Unfortunately… fate? He never tires. Never even breaks a sweat. We don’t have to look far for proof of that:
- Think about the weight problems in our country. A direct consequence of fast food, poor eating habits (such as fast, easy meals rather than healthy, homemade vegetables, soups, etc.) and too much time in front of a screen of some sort.
- Think about how people struggle from paycheck to paycheck. Overspending and refusing to “live within one’s means” can be thanked for a lot of these problems. The economy is, of course, suffering its own consequences – but, let’s be honest, most of us don’t exactly help ourselves.
- Think about all of the broken relationships around you. In a society that’s geared toward “Me, me, me” – it’s little wonder that few people put anyone else ahead of themself. One of my own personal pet peeves is selfishness. “MEitis.” The MYSpace generation gives me a knot in my stomach, quite frankly. When anyone has to be their own press agent, there’s a problem. Oh, look! Pictures of ME… glorious ME! Sonofagun, who knew that camera would be here? Wait… oh, I’ m holding it, that’s right. Watch ME dress up. Watch ME dress down. Watch ME watching ME dress up. I dunno, I’m just kind of, like, silly like that…. Oh, I think I’ll jump off of that one before a post in a post happens. I remember when someone wanted a camera for taking pictures of other people, places and things. I’m just saying.
- Think about the recent election. Sometimes, we can even get the luxury of paying for someone else’s consequences. John McCain didn’t lose the election. The man seems, to me, incapable of personally losing anything. Heroes roll like that. Sarah Palin didn’t lose the election for him. Not all of us agreed with everything she hunted did – but most of us respected her and fiercely defend her right to her own beliefs. Most of us also know what cost Mr. McCain the election. Consequences brought about from others in his political party.
No one can escape consequences. Not even American heroes. “There are no exceptions.”
Cameron C. Taylor gives a great example of Consequences on page 60 of Does Your Bag Have Holes?. He was speaking at a prison to a group of inmates. One gentleman in particular was asking Mr. Taylor about success. Namely, how could he (imprisoned for being involved with illegal drugs) ever hope to achieve the level of success that this well-respected author and speaker has achieved. Mr. Taylor had the inmate join him in a demonstration. They both stood on a table and, on the count of three, jumped off. Neither had wings, so they both hit the floor!
“I continued teaching that the law of gravity affected both of us the same regardless of age, gender, race, or upbringing. This is also true of the laws of success. They are the same now as they were in the past and will be the same in the future. Our knowledge about these laws may fluctuate, but their principles and application will never change. Anyone can be successful, because anyone can learn and follow the laws of success.”
It comes down to choices. When we make our choices, we make our consequeces. If we eat too much, exercise too little, and order too many calorie-laden drinks at Starbucks (What?! Who said that?!?!) – we choose to have a weight problem.
If we neglect to budget our money and buy impulsively (There they go again!) rather than intelligently, we’ll come up short again and again. And again.
We should start making better choices, wiser choices – so we can, in turn, expect better consequences.
Edit: I put my money where my mouth was (literally) when I ran to the store today. Instead of my regular amazing Starbucks drink (which hovers around 400 calories and is over $4), I grabbed a hot Wild Sweet Orange Tea. It cost less than $2 and came to the party with absolutely no calories. Yay! What’s more, it was absolutely delicious. I’ve also had them combine 1 bag of Passion Tea with 1 bag of the Wild Sweet Orange Tea before. Also amazing, and also 0 calories.
Little GOOD choices add up just the same as little BAD choices. But only one will lead anywhere worth going.