Stilettos, Stoli & Scribbles ~ Served With A Twist

If you haven’t heard it or said it about  2017 resolutions yet….most of us will. The reality is “everything in moderation” is a bullshit excuse to justify whatever behavior we CHOOSE  or don’t choose to act upon.

Want a candy bar even though we know the detrimental effects of refined sugar?  “Everything in moderation” – better to cheat than binge right??

Want to skip a work out, during the first week of your free trial month membership? “Everything in moderation” – don’t want to bulk up and get on steroids!

Want to sleep in when trying to develop a routine of morning prayer or meditation? “Everything in moderation” – being mindful and having a deeper spiritual understanding might make me one of those weird hermits living in a cave.

We’ve heard for decades now that “resolutions” don’t work, because they set us up for failure.

Perhaps it’s not the resolution but the exit strategy of “moderation” – the Next Monday thinking that is the cause of the failure. Moderation is the free pass for “I don’t wanna” be responsible for my nutrition, exercise, relationships, professional development, spiritual health, etc. etc. etc.

Let’s ask ourselves this….can you love in moderation?

Yeah, honey you me hugged and were kind and affectionate yesterday. Let’s give that a rest today, don’t want to over do that and feel too loved.

Can you care for children or pets in moderation?

Oh, I fed them yesterday. This is my skip day. Everything in moderation you know

What about our jobs?

WOW!  I wrote a thousand words today, better take a few days off. Don’t want to finish that draft too quickly.”

or

“Gee, I drove the bus four days in a row, let’s give one of the kids a chance. I’d hate to get driver’s hunch from being bent over the big ole steering wheel so much.”

or

“I was on time last week. This is my cheat week.

Does the alcoholic or drug addict get the moderation pass? Not without serious painful consequences, including death.

Moderate is a subjective definition, defined in ways that justify current or desired (behavior) rather than view moderation as an objective standard.¹

Both SA and I have had bariatic surgery. We lived the “everything in moderation myth” until drastic measures were needed to retrain our minds and bodies. We don’t get to have moderate sugar, soda, sedentary anymore or we experience…no SUFFER the physical and emotional pain of regain.

CC is a Celiac. She does not get to have moderate…microscopic amounts of gluten without becoming violently ill.

As we prepared to launch ourselves into the profession of authors, we were told one thing over and over….writers write and FINISH! There is no reward for unfinished manuscripts. Moderately complete or edited books?????  What’s the point of that?

I found another word for moderation this week as I was thinking about this post. Dabbling. We dabble in health in fitness, we dabble in relationships, we dabble in spirituality, we dabble in our passions. Happy successful people don’t dabble, they don’t moderate.

Life pursued in moderation is just wishing….

Are you wishing? Dabbling? Moderating? Or are you going all-in in your life?  Do you subscribe to the concept of Everything in Moderation?

A good article on The Moderation Myth, specifically addressing sugar consumption and our justification of behavior.

1. How Do People Define Moderation

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