The Easy Way

The path of least resistance...The easy way. Sure! We'd all like to take the easy route when we can. There would be no struggle, no heartache, no stumbling blocks, and no pain. Have you ever heard of the saying, "short term light, long term darkness" as opposed to "short term darkness, long term light?" Well, if not, now you have. The easy way sometimes isn't necessarily the best way. If you want a certain career or lifestyle, it takes the drive, the will, the determination, and the patience. Did I mention time and effort?! With all the hard work you put in, the results can be immense. This saying can be used in many ways. 

Love, for instance... It takes time to build something beautiful and real that will last a lifetime. As opposed to quick, spontaneous love where you rarely get to know each other on a deeper level. The roller coaster high of instant, immediate love (or lust perhaps) can have such a hard fall in the end. That kind of love is likely not going to last. True love is gradual and takes time, effort, and patience. In love, sometimes there are problems, and either people will work on them as well as on themselves and try to improve (despite how hard it might be), or give up and end up in a miserable situation where many things can occur (infidelity, imploding, depression, anxiety, health issues, lack of intimacy or closeness, divorce, or fighting all the time, etc.). 

Another example would be the game of chess (which I've talked about in an earlier blog (see: "My Healthy Addiction"). Despite the pace of the games (being that I like to play speed chess), in order to elevate to a higher rating, moves have to be carefully thought out, because it only takes one wrong move and it's checkmate. A few more examples would be junk food, drugs, and alcohol. Well, let's start with junk food. I believe to some extent that moderation is key. Junk food however, should be left as an occasional indulgent and not for that quick satisfaction or by any means for trying to relieve hunger. The quick fix for that desired pizza, hot dogs, nachos, desserts, etc., is a long walk to the scale. Kate Moss takes it to the extreme, but I like where she's going with it in her saying, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." She kinda has a point, but I can appreciate some nice curves and a healthy appetite. The point is that making good, healthy food choices now, which may not always be the most appealing choices, will have long term, great effects on your body, hair, skin, and all over health. 

Now as far as alcohol or drugs are concerned (recreational or prescription), the same results are predominantly true. If you're taking something for a sickness, listen to your doctor. I'm not a doctor, so this is all merely my humble little opinion. But, when something like Xanax (Alprazolam, or other generic forms of it) is prescribed pro re nata (PRN) or as needed, then it would be wise to carry it like a security blanket, rather than just pop a pill every time life throws you a curveball. 

In my opinion, when something like Xanax or other anti-anxiety medicines are given, it would be wise to take it only as needed in accordance with some recommended therapy (even if you're not recommended to go, if you're taking Xanax, it might not be such a bad thing) so that things can gradually improve, as opposed to not working on yourself and issues that may be the underlying cause of your stresses and anxieties will remain. Otherwise, you will have a band aid effect which will at some point fall off and it's only a temporary fix. The side effects of Xanax and some other medications of it's kind can be truly more powerful than it's quick fix and temporary relief. 

Tylenol is another drug that should only be taken when pain or a headache is so severe that you can't wait it out (at least on a regular basis). The side effects of taking Tylenol on a regular basis even at it's recommended dosage has the possibility of causing liver damage. I'm simply giving one or two examples, but almost every medicine that can be avoided, should be. If you have a headache, drink more water or depending on how bad it is, see a doctor and get a professional opinion. Once again, my main point is that the easy path sometimes isn't always the better path, if you want long term good results and happiness. Happiness takes hard work, if you want it to last.