Distraction

When life isn’t working for you, you need to figure out what you want. The problem is distraction. Whatever isn’t working for you must have some kind of allure, or else you wouldn’t be doing it. Some of these things can be very seductive, and you think “Oh, this isn’t that bad.” But it is, because it isn’t what you want. But because of the wonderful distraction, you don’t even notice.

We all need distractions now and again, but it’s a problem when it becomes a way of life. Just one more TV show, just one night out with the guys, just one more novel…typical distractions. One more fight, one more cigarette, one more meaningless one night stand…some less typical but still pretty common distractions.

When you’re so wrapped up in something other than your life, you can’t figure out what you want to do with your life. This goes directly against the “back off and gain some perspective” advice, but in that case, you’re too immersed in your life, not fleeing from it. And that’s what a distraction does – makes you run away from your life.

Maybe your life is too horrible to face, and maybe making a change is too horrible to face, too. But why worry about that when you’ve got 183 channels to watch, a twelve-pack in the fridge, and/or at least several hundred women in the city you haven’t laid yet?

Because if you don’t worry about it, if you don’t do *something*, then five or ten years from now, your life will still be too horrible to face, and you still won’t want to make a change. Because if you don’t do something, either it won’t change at all, or something will change it for you – probably for the worse. But how could it get worse, you ask? Let’s see, you’re able to read this blog, which means you can see – you could be blinded. And you have access to a computer – that could be taken away. Or maybe someone is reading this to you – so you have a friend. Or if they aren’t a friend, at least you can hear. Both your friend and your hearing could leave. Plus, you comprehend these words, so you aren’t in a coma or in so much pain you wouldn’t be able to make out the words people were telling you anyway. Trust me, your life could get worse. But who cares, as long as there’s beer and sex?

I care, and if you stopped distracting yourself for a little while, you might find out you care, too. Care about your present and your Future, because if you won’t, then most others won’t either.