Is Your Sacrifice Worth It?

In my building complex, we all have balconies, and we can all see each other.

There’s this old man who uses his balcony exclusively as a smoking room.

Every time he smokes outside, everyone on their balconies can smell it.

Typical addict shit, but I live in a city, so what am I gonna do, right?

The interesting thing is that this routine never changes.

When it’s blazing hot, it’s out there smoking.

When it’s freezing, he’s out there smoking.

When it’s raining, he’s out there smoking.

Guys, when it’s snowing, he’s out there.

Honestly, I have a bit of respect for that level of discipline.

Last winter, as I saw him developing lung cancer, I had a thought:

Smoking in the snow requires resilience, but I wonder what could be accomplished if that resilience were directed elsewhere.

You can deal with hardships (snow) and uncomfortable situations (freezing temperatures) if you can ultimately get what you want (nicotine).

Sometimes, what you want is harmful to you, and you need to acknowledge that.

For me, I had a similar issue with porn.

I used to search far and wide for porn back in the day.

At the time, I wouldn’t bother spending my time reading, but I’d gladly spend hours opening up dozens of tabs of porn.

If my priorities were straight, I would’ve used that time for something else instead of wasting it, but that was the price I was willing to pay at the time.

It’s interesting to think about what you could gain if you applied that determination towards something better.

But what if you never even considered redirecting your efforts in such a way?

That’d be a huge mistake.

If you haven’t thought long and hard about what you really want out of life, your natural determination will get hijacked for goals that are stupid or even harmful.

You can handle a lot. Make sure that your sacrifices are for something that’s good for you.

Otherwise, your dumb monkey brain will choose something to waste your resolve on.

Imagine wasting your effort on bracing the freezing weather just so you can smoke outside in the snow.

😈 DEVIL’S ADVOCACY 😈

• “But it’s important to me!” (Is it, really?)

• “A life enjoyed isn’t a life wasted.” (What would your 70-year-old self have to say about that? Try to roleplay.)

Now, what if you thought deeply about what you want to accomplish and focused your determination on that?

What would you gain?

• You’d prove that you’re tough and can handle a lot. Wouldn’t it be great if that toughness were used on something helpful, like learning a language or exercising?

• You wouldn’t tolerate smoking outside in the snow. You’d use that tolerance to push through a run or some chapters of a book instead.

Sounds good? I agree.

But how would you go about doing that?

Like so:

1. Think about what you really want in life. (Easy, right? 🙄) At least, think about what you want in the next year.

2. Of all the things you’re putting effort into, are any of them more useful than smoking in the snow? If not, change it up.

3. Remember that humans are resilient, and you can choose what you want to deal with, so make sure your suffering is for a good cause.

Okay, bye!