Saturday, April 22, 2006
Small and Simple Things
Not too long ago I was faced with a small dilemma. I wanted to go swimming and I had lost my pair of red-Hawaiian print board shorts. All I had left was a pair of white and see through when wet board shorts. So, I decided that I would buy a new pair. I had already set a budget for the rest of this month, so I was very price sensitive and decided that I would shop at Wal-Mart. Here's where the dilemma comes in. All of the Wal-Mart shorts had elastic waist bands (which I despise) except for one. That one pair was actually a very nice pair, at a very cheap price. But, it was Corona brand. Corona was written all over the shorts. Of course, my first thought was, "I can't get those." But then I started a negatively inspired train of thought going something like this: "Why not? Am I afraid of people judging me? Who cares what other people think? People in Provo are too judgmental. It would be funny to see people's reaction to the shorts. I think I'm going to get them."
Isn't it amazing to see the rationalization take place? Well, I bought the pair and used them the next day. I am still pleased with the quality of the shorts. But something else happened, I believe, as a result of buying that pair. I suddenly had a small and hidden feeling that rules didn't apply. I found myself over the next few days doing small things or not doing small things that seemed unimportant. I started skipping writing in my journal. I didn't read exactly the amount in the Scriptures that I had built into my routine. You know...small things. But small things lead to bigger things. Before you know it, I'm looking around at myself thinking, "What on earth have I been doing? This isn't me," and then decided that things needed to be put back in order.
Malcolm Gladwell has argued that the smallest circumstances can have dramatic changes in what he calls "socials epidemics," such as fashion fads and crime rates. Why would it be any different in our personal lives? We, especially in the LDS culture, sometimes feel that every action is a result our desires and character and the only way to combat it is to change our desires and character. James Allen says,
"This does not mean that a man's circumstances at any given time are an indication of his entire character, but that those circumstances are so intimately connected with some vital thought element within himself..." (As a Man Thinketh, pg9)
I believe he's right. It is true that our circumstances do reveal something about ourselves, thoughts and passions. However, as I've argued before, change is two fold. I think that we use that vital thought element in order to create a change in our circumstances, which then allows us to have a more permanent change of desire. Rather than diving in and attempting to change your desires without making any change to your environment might be fruitless. What am I getting at? The circumstances, influenced by some part of my character, in which I placed myself with Corona board shorts, provided an opportunity for that part of my character to run wild and without restraint. If we focus on controlling the circumstances that we create, we begin to use "the Law upon which [our] being is established, [we] then become the wise master, directing [our] energies with intelligence, and fashioning [our] thoughts to fruitful issues. Such is the conscious master..." (As a Man Thinketh, pg4)
Isn't it amazing to see the rationalization take place? Well, I bought the pair and used them the next day. I am still pleased with the quality of the shorts. But something else happened, I believe, as a result of buying that pair. I suddenly had a small and hidden feeling that rules didn't apply. I found myself over the next few days doing small things or not doing small things that seemed unimportant. I started skipping writing in my journal. I didn't read exactly the amount in the Scriptures that I had built into my routine. You know...small things. But small things lead to bigger things. Before you know it, I'm looking around at myself thinking, "What on earth have I been doing? This isn't me," and then decided that things needed to be put back in order.
Malcolm Gladwell has argued that the smallest circumstances can have dramatic changes in what he calls "socials epidemics," such as fashion fads and crime rates. Why would it be any different in our personal lives? We, especially in the LDS culture, sometimes feel that every action is a result our desires and character and the only way to combat it is to change our desires and character. James Allen says,
"This does not mean that a man's circumstances at any given time are an indication of his entire character, but that those circumstances are so intimately connected with some vital thought element within himself..." (As a Man Thinketh, pg9)
I believe he's right. It is true that our circumstances do reveal something about ourselves, thoughts and passions. However, as I've argued before, change is two fold. I think that we use that vital thought element in order to create a change in our circumstances, which then allows us to have a more permanent change of desire. Rather than diving in and attempting to change your desires without making any change to your environment might be fruitless. What am I getting at? The circumstances, influenced by some part of my character, in which I placed myself with Corona board shorts, provided an opportunity for that part of my character to run wild and without restraint. If we focus on controlling the circumstances that we create, we begin to use "the Law upon which [our] being is established, [we] then become the wise master, directing [our] energies with intelligence, and fashioning [our] thoughts to fruitful issues. Such is the conscious master..." (As a Man Thinketh, pg4)
