Why Do I Always Forget?

Why do I always forget what Taco Bell does to me? How is it that Taco Bell consistently leaves me on the bathroom floor waiting for something to shoot out one of my ends (you just never know which it’s gonna be) ...and yet I always go back for more. Sure, while it’s in my mouth, that creative Doritos shell with that mild sauce from the heavens takes me places I’ve never been. But after those tacos have had their way with my digestive system, can I look upon them with the same deep affection? Apparently so.

Little addictions... We all have them. Those things that might not be so good for us, but they provide us with a temporary happiness that we are not willing to give up. Maybe it’s a breed of happiness we are not able to get otherwise. Maybe we have become so comfortable that we are afraid to leave them behind. 

In the long run, giving up these unhealthy or sinful addictions would improve our quality of life and possibly provide us with opportunities and new happinesses we could’ve never imagined. But that’s just the point isn’t it? We can't imagine it right now. Fear of the unknown. We don’t want to give up what is comfortable for us and what we know for something we are unsure of. I guess it’s all about faith. We’ll get nowhere without it. We’ll sit in our same comfortable spot in life without progressing. We’ll never even know what we’re missing out on. 

Take Taco Bell for example. Where’d I come up with that example? Oh ya, I just ate it and died a little inside. Mmm that mild sauce gets me. It gets me better than my friends do. I mean take a gander at this collection. 

**the part of my collection I could hold.

It gives me tummy aches from hell. But that hasn’t stopped me from stuffing handfuls in my purse and adding it to every non-dessert (even maybe some dessert) food I eat. Taco Bell is yummy and comfortable and I have never been ready to leave it behind. Tonight, though, I hit rock bottom. I was hungry. Taco Bell was cheap and easy (just like your mom), and I knew it would taste good. Yes, I could’ve cooked a healthy meal. But I was scared. I mean what if I passed out with hunger before it was ready? What if it didn't TASTE YUMMY?!?! (If you know me, you know I’m all about the yum). But tonight I made a decision, once and for all, to give up my beloved T-Bell. I know I’ll miss it, but it’ll get easier with time. I know every time I see a reminder (like a taco, or a bell)  it’ll hurt a little bit and I will be tempted to revert back to my ways. But I have faith that my body will be feeling healthier and happier soon enough with this change, and that will keep me going.

So yes, stepping out of our comfort zone to better ourselves and improve our lives might hurt at first. It might get worse before it gets better. Giving up addictions, no matter their size, is always hard. But I’ve learned that life is all about developing delayed gratification. Doing the hard thing now to secure a better future. It’s how we have healthy bodies, healthy minds, good educations, satisfying careers, quality relationships. It’s how we develop real, long-lasting happiness. 

So you know what, let’s stop finding ourselves on the metaphorical (hey, or literal) bathroom floors waiting for something to shoot out one of our ends. We can do better.