You can lead a horse to water, but you can not make it drink. There has been an awful amount of time lately where I have been feeling like the world’s crappiest cowboy, shepherding a multitude of horses to the trough, only for them to whinny and thrash about because they are thirsty, yet refusing to dip their mouths into the very thing that would satiate their needs and quench that thirst. A lot of times I feel like the Lone Ranger, trying to hail Silver toward the destiny that awaits him while Tonto cheers for us in the distance. Except I am doing nowhere near as good a job as the masked hero. Instead, I’m a BDE slanging vigilante and the world is as critical as Jonah Jameson writing the Daily Bugle in Spider Man who hails the protagonist as nothing more than a menace. All Spider Man tries is to be a good person and a good hero, and he is criticized very single step of the way for not doing things well enough. It’s often how I feel when when I try my darnedest to help out and make an impact and fail to see anyone reaping the rewards. I understand how difficult it can be in life to make some changes, but don’t we owe it to ourselves to put forth the best effort possible? Especially if we have a friend or a mentor willing to offer their help and support.
I couldn’t tell you why I get so upset watching other people create excuse after excuse for why things can’t be done. Perhaps it’s because I put in some of my own time to try and help, only to be dismissed soon after. My whole life I have wanted nothing more than to help people, and I unfortunately had to learn that I can do all that I can to set a crash landing pad full of foamy softness beneath a person that guarantees their safety, and they still won’t jump. Life is about taking that initial plunge in order to reach new heights. No one is asking you to look before you leap. Nope; this is a calculated risk, where the building you’re so chained down to is set ablaze and is burning into a lethal inferno all around you, threatening to consume your very being. But because that drop frightens you a little, you’d rather cling to the once stable foundation even as it crumbles all around you before combustion. Sometimes, you need to make that jump. Not because you enjoy risks or the thrill of adrenaline, but because if you don’t, your lack of action will lead to your demise.
Sadly, these are the same type of people who run to others when they need a listening ear to emotionally vent or express their problems to. But these are never the people who reach out to ever check on the other person in the friendship. Even if it seems like they do, it’s really an elaborate facade to make them the focal point. They always have ulterior motives that really make the exchange all about them, constantly siphoning off energy from the other party until they are merely a shell of a person. (I’m just trying to be a Schell of a person, but I digress haha). Relationships are not all take with zero give, but sadly this happens a lot more than many of us are willing to admit. Most have no problem recalling when they were the victim in such a scenario, but I can guarantee almost all of us have been the perpetrator at least once, but have pushed that shameful memory deep to the depths of our internal storage. It’s a hard pill to swallow and self reflect on the times when we may have not been the ideal friend, or partner, or person of solace. I know I have personally been guilty of this and it is why I now make sure that I make the effort to reach out and be there for others in the thoughtful way I would like others to be there for me.
Self-discipline and self-control are two of the hardest things to master in life, but they are truly what help to make someone successful. No person who has achieved goals, accomplishments, and success in life has done it without conquering two of the aforementioned traits. However, it is easy to be content and remain stagnant in your journey in life, where no doubt, you will eventually backslide. We need to eventually learn how to hold ourselves accountable for our situations and circumstances in life. Sure, there are a plethora of reasons and excuses we can make on why things are the way they are, but by mastering our own discipline and control we can rise above whatever threatens to hold us back. Take weight loss and getting healthy for example. It’s a complete mindset change on the way we think about food, nutrition, sustenance, and exercise. To plead ignorance on dietary value and needs is a moot point these days with the technology at the tips of our fingers ready to educate us. I hear constantly about people not having the time to meal prep or exercise, but we will make time for the things that are important to us. After all, if you don’t make the time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness. Once one excuse accrues, it’s easier to continue to make more, and that my friends is a slop slipperier than Mt. Everest. Everything in life is hard, so choose your hard and choose wisely.
Please don’t think I feel a sense of superiority by practicing self-discipline and self-control. This is still a state of mind that I grapple with every single day. And just like grappling in Jiu Jitsu, some rolls I execute technique, and others I get obliterated on and my ass kicked, but I always learn. Life in and of itself is a learning process, and by taking the time to schedule and plan and work hard towards my goals, I am always absorbing new education on how to be successful in my endeavors. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, my inbox is always open. Please feel free to reach out to me and I will always offer up any help that I can. I want people to reach their goals and I want to see them thrive in this world. I just truly hope that if I work hard to lead you to water, you go ahead and take that drink to satiate your needs. The only thirsty bitches around here should make their way to OnlyFans where they can really make a profit. Win-win situation. Until then, my Lone Ranger wannabe self will keep leading my Silver to the quest that brings the most happiness there is.
