Today, Shiloh got me thinking about temptation, as she was ignoring to my “sit” and “stay” commands and took off running to visit with the other dogs at the park. She looked at me then looked at them and temptation won out.
I had to giggle because I totally get that temptation is all around us and the pull can be strong to stray from what we know is right and sometimes ignore our goals, intentions and commitments.
So I wanted to ask you…
Are your thoughts and behaviors in alignment with your life goals or do you sometimes succumb to temptation and stray?
That’s probably a rhetorical question, because I don’t think anyone can say they are perfectly on point all the time…it’s part of being human.
Temptation is two-fold in that there are really big temptations that can get us in a lot of trouble and there are the little daily temptations that can add up and pull us away from our goals and living our best life.
I also think temptation is two-fold in how we handle it. We can be aware of what temptations may present themselves throughout the day and stay ahead of them or we can choose not to be tempted and remove ourselves from the situation.
Having awareness ahead of a possible temptation and requesting help through prayer, meditation, visualization or through the support of other people can be powerful. Staying ahead of the environment, in terms of what temptations may come up is critical to your success.
For instance, if you have a goal of changing an eating habit or pattern, one thing I always recommend is to be the first to order in a restaurant, that way you won’t be swayed by what others order. Such a little thing but having that strategy ahead of time is powerful in staying on your goal and conviction of heart.
If you are looking to foster deeper and more meaning relationships with loved ones thinking ahead of ways to support that again is critical to success. For me, I’ve decided to shut off my phone and put it out sight when I’m having a conversation with my daughter so I’m not tempted to look at it with every ding. I decided that this is sacred time for us and by removing any distraction ahead of time will allow me to be more engaged and present.
Deciding not to fight or hit temptation head on and practicing avoidance is the second powerful tool when you are tempted by something that pulls you away from you commitments. Again, using the eating goal, avoiding situations that will tempt you to stray is critical and maybe going to “happy hour” isn’t the most supportive thing for you. In relationships, avoid the temptation to be distracted, when being present is the most powerful thing you can do. At your job or in your career, avoid the temptation to zone out or spend hours in the social media whirlpool and make the calls and set the meetings so you can be the creator of your destiny.
Awareness and avoidance are the name of the game when it comes to minimizing temptation and staying on your path!!
What are you tempted by? Is it a temptation that will draw you closer to your goals or move you away and distract you from them? Is it something that can cause you or someone else harm? Remember that every behavior has a cost and a payoff. You have the ultimate choice to create the life you want!
Also, remember you are human and be kind to yourself!! If you do get off track a little bit, that’s ok…resistance, distraction and temptation will come up when you are trying to make a change. The key is to recognize it, be sensitive to it and work to be victorious over it.
