Some things I've heard people around me are giving up this year include:
- Sugar
- Television
- Gluten
- Soda Pop
- Coffee
- Texting
Inevitably after hearing what someone is giving up, there is a grumble about how hard it will be, or how much of a sacrifice it is going to take. We are creatures of habit, and a change in routine or everyday living is really difficult for many of us to grasp. We fuss and get aggravated and crave whatever it is we've sworn off for the time being.
Now, I am completely guilty of the fussing and grumpiness - just ask my husband! But as I hear others complain, I wonder if we could do something to reframe the sacrifice into something good. Like the old saying, "turn that frown upside down," could we turn this perceived "negative" into a "positive?"
So instead of: "I'm giving up sugar and it's going to be awful," could we say "I'm giving up sugar as a start to a healthier lifestyle?"
In the sacrifice of something, there has to be a gain in it as well. What are you getting in return? It could be more time to take a walk, less consumption of unhealthy items, or time to explore a new hobby.
What are your thoughts on this? Is it unrealistic or is it a way to find a silver lining?
I find it silly and childish that adults whine and find it difficult about eliminating things that admittedly add nothing positive to their lives for a short period of time -- or, for that matter, permanently. When we imagine what conveniences and luxuries (like texting and candy and soda) our (recent) ancestors not only lived without, but THRIVED without, and the conditions that poor people around the world and in our own United States live in and manage to be happy and fulfilled in, does it not seem utterly absurd to complain about "sacrificing" something like Facebook? What's so bad about "giving up" hours wasted on the computer gossiping and trading imaginary farm animals when you could actually be doing any one of a thousand little things that ultimately add value to your day rather than detracting from it? There are myriad things I have eliminated from my life in order to be fit and healthy and show my body the respect it deserves. When someone is blown away that I haven't had soda in four years ("Why not just drink diet???") and can't believe that I can "live without" that junk, I seriously want to kick them in the head. How did such trivial (and sometimes detrimental) crap take such a prominent place in our psyches that we think our lives will be so very difficult without them?
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