Being Honest

Courtney Carver wrote a brilliant yesterday on asking the soul shaking question.  I love blog posts that make me stop and give pause to the bigger picture.  Asking ourselves "Why?" is sometimes the hardest question imaginable.

The question I asked myself was, "Why do I have all these great intentions, but consistently fall short?".  The answer - excuses and inconvenience.  There was a great quote at the very beginning of the documentary Fresh, "Americans fear only one thing: inconvenience."  Powerful and true.  I could easily make my own bread, I have the knowledge, the skill, and the tools to do so, but it is far easier to pick up a loaf at the grocery store.  I could line dry my clothes, but it involves being more organized so that I'm not trying to catch up on 10 loads of laundry in a single day.  I could avoid buying new, but it would involve not always having exactly what I want, when I want it.

I like to think I'm not the same as every other mindless consumer out there, but the fact is, intentions matter for nothing.  Action is what matters.  On a consistent, daily basis I need to give pause to my actions, consider how they reflect my beliefs and intentions, and decide whether I am making the correct choice.  It means calming the impulses, being more patient, and living intentionally.  Not an easy thing to do.  But if we want to change the outcome, we have to change our patterns.  You can't expect to lose weight if you continue to eat the same as you always have, and you can't expect to change your financial picture if you spend the same as you always have.

I am going to spend some time in reflection today and come up with a personal mission statement for myself.  Something that I can reflect on daily, put in my wallet, put on my computer monitor, something that forces me to pause and consider my actions.