KILLING EFFORT

I often hear people berated for not finishing projects. Either they are "losers" or "quitters" or they don't have "sticktoitiveness." Other people bail out of projects like one crawls out of bed. Either they are "sick" or they are "not well" or they realized a "better way" or factors outside their control made them "realize" they were "going about it all wrong." In the end the decision to quit or to continue belongs to each individual.


However, certain factors absolutely discourage the completion of certain goals. There is the talker who says he is going to accomplish great achievements when his talk achieves nothing tangible but the production of copious amounts of carbon dioxide (which, I suppose, is beneficial to plants).

The dreamer who funnels emotional energy into the construction of contrived ideologies, (the complexity of which is entirely incompatible with reality and sanity). 

The coward who by mistake does a great feat and lives in fear of having to do it again (even though his clouds-with-no-rain personage expects to perpetually benefit from the accident).

Certain things should and never will be completed. If you light a dry stick on fire, it will more than likely burn. Light a water-logged stick on fire and, no matter how much you "believe", it is not likely to burn. If we align with reality, we can minimize friction that is the catalyst to rapid decay of our personal efforts. 


If it is transient (like a breath) don't call it permanent. That kind of mindset is not healthy. Do not arbitrarily dub things intrinsic, because you cannot make intrinsic happen. Eat the candy bar. Spend the money. Enjoy the entertainment. This, too, shall pass. 


I don't recommend that you dub the candy bar "Heavenly Heathbar" and think it has been converted into some eternal quality. 

I also don't recommend that you invest money in some religious version of a pyramid scheme and then be disappointed when the money is lost because you thought it  was especially looked over by Jesus. 

Don't waste money on the Christian concert and be disappointed if the Christian celeb checks into a psycho ward because he cannot function as a little god.

It is assumed that if I put my hand to the plow, I did some serious calculating before I pulled out the oxen, dragged out the plow, and snapped the whole thing together. It is assumed that I calculated worth, time, physical effort. 


However, it is so easy to mindlessly leverage one's assets to begin a great but asinine effort without asking "Why am I doing this besides the fact that I can?" 


And when one finds himself in the stressful position of having overcommited and in danger of grossly underdelivering, it is time to exert enough willpower to terminate the endeavor before it comes crashing down on its own.