Be proactive, not reactive.
As humans we tend to be reactive. We wait until a lump is found. Blood is in the stool. A strange looking mole keeps growing. Before we seek attention.
I’ve seen and heard it all.
“I thought it would go away.”
“I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
“I didn’t have time to check it out.”
We all love the river Denial. As humans we swim and luxuriate in its waters, lulled into a false sense of comfort. Hoping if we stick our heads in the sand nothing can find us. The probable is, the rest of us is still exposed!
And we all know how well that works out.
Finding something small is always far better than when it’s larger or spread. But it’s not just our health.
My aunt lived in a hurricane zone in Miami, Florida. She was shocked how often people didn’t prepare their houses until one was on the way.
Climate change? We’ve known the consequences our brutal footsteps have had for decades, but we still refuse to change. Passing the carnage on to our descendants.
The car’s engine light turns on, but we ignore it for weeks, months.
Why aren’t we more proactive?
It would save so much trouble, time and money.
Probably because we are too exhausted and overwhelmed dealing with everyday life to worry about tomorrow.
But tomorrow will come, and with it, tragedy and heartache if we don’t take a moment and deal with what we can, today.
Before I divorced my ex, I started having night terrors. Dreams so vivid they seemed real. I’d wake up in the middle of the night sure the roof was caving in. Screaming, I would cover us both in the hopes of surviving the catastrophe. It took a few horrifying nights to realize my mind and body were forcing me to acknowledge something I already knew, but I had refused to accept. Life as I knew it was literally falling apart. It was past time to look the demons in the face and deal with reality.
So today:
Schedule an appointment to get a physical.
Start to recycle.
Put away just a few pennies towards a rainy day.
See how you can make your house safer.
Seal up holes, and doors to save on gas and electric bills.
Make sure the toilets don’t run and faucets don’t drip in order to save previous water and fees.
Prioritize those items you need to scratch off your to-do list. Then plan time for those items to get resolved.
Look to the future. It’s a great way to see what path you’ll need to follow to accomplish your goals.
Don’t be a bystander. See a problem? Figure out ways to fix it.
Don’t focus on the negatives. That never encourages progress. Break the problem down into its parts. Then start with those you can fix.
We can’t control everything. But we can only control ourselves. How we choose to:
Talk
Act
Think
Share
Today, we can make a difference. In our lives and those we care about before the roof caves in.
