I never want to do that again

Who are we kidding? It’s the same story we tell ourselves over and over again in order to change our behavior, yet it remains the same. Amazingly, without realizing it, our lives are being impacted like a scene out of the Twilight Zone.

Traffic Jam

This morning, I woke up at my normal time and got ready for work in my usual manner. Side tracked with a minor problem, I left the house a little later than usual. I wish I can say this is the first time but there are everyday distractions which holds my attention every now and then. To my surprise, when I got on the Highway, there was an inordinate amount of traffic due to lane closures for pothole repair.

Beat The Clock

I got off the next exit in order to find a way around the traffic. Time was running out and I was driving a little faster than normal. Feeling stressed and trying to beat the clock, I went through several towns in order to get back on the Highway. Isn’t it funny in life when you’re running late, it never fails, there is always a truck driving very slowly, a person who is in retirement mode on a Sunday morning drive or someone going shopping on their day off in front of you. So while in your mind, you’re in the fast lane at 80 miles an hour, tense with your heart racing to get to work on time, they are driving 20 miles an hour. Ouch!

I pulled into the parking lot and got out of my car running fast as if my life depended on it, I made it just in the nick of time. Out of breath and trying to compose myself, I said, “I never want to do that again.” Really, it’s not the first time and it may not be the last. Life has a way of knocking you off your feet when you least expect it.

How many times do we tell ourselves we will never do the following:

• We will never eat more than our stomach can handle. Then we eat more and more until we are uncomfortable and our stomach is bloated.
• We will never be late for work to the point where rushing becomes a habit every morning. Unfortunately for some of us, it becomes a habit which is hard to break.
• We will never spread gossip or slander our neighbor.
• We will never spend more than we can afford. Have you looked at your credit cards lately?
• We will never drink to get drunk to the point where it affects our ability to function in a normal manner. Hangovers is not particularly fun.
• We will never drive over the speed limit and then suddenly you get pulled over for speeding.
• We will never fight with our spouse, friends, or coworkers if possible, OOPS!

There are so many things in our life which we wish we can change. Unfortunately, if you do something habitually, it becomes a habit which is hard to break. It’s not impossible as long as we are willing to commit to making changes in order to break the cycle. For instance, I could have made a decision to leave my house a little earlier in order to compensate for any problems that may arise. But sometimes its easier to keep doing the same thing over and over again without thinking of the consequences that may result from this pattern of behavior. I believe at this juncture of our lives, its time to break the cycle and commit to making the changes which will make life more bearable.

Have you ever had one of those moments you wish you could change?