Think beyond this moment

Every action or in action we take has a consequence. We’ve known this since we were kids.

Hence the importance of thinking beyond this moment, beyond “self” and considering the bigger picture.

In a world of instant gratification and “Yolo” thinking, it’s so easy to just think about “me” – my needs and wants – and forget about the impact our decisions are really having. Some actions will effect our health, our energy, our confidence, our relationships, our finances or our businesses – and other actions will effect our neighbours, our cities, our country, the world and all of Mother Earth.

Some results will be obvious pretty quickly – but unfortunately most results are not visible or felt for a long time, so you don’t feel the negative consequence of that action – or inaction – until it’s too late. 

Someday, all of our compounded actions or decisions will be visible and “someone” will either feel the pain of the negative consequences, or enjoy the fruits of our positive decisions.

Yesterday I had a celebration and got to have a really crazy cheat day, which put me approximately 2000 calories over my normal consumption. Luckily, I track my daily intake with an app and at the end of the day it popped up a message letting me know that if every day were like today, that in 5 weeks I would gain 17 pounds!!! Holy crap. What a wake up call. 

Contrast that message with the notification I get when I eat my normal calories, that in 5 weeks I’d be down 3 pounds. A very different result. That’s the power of being aware of your actions and if it makes sense, to track them so you are more accountable.

Thank goodness that was a one-off kind of day – and thank goodness I now have the wisdom to track what I eat and drink, so that I’m aware of my daily actions and ensures that 5 weeks from now I’m not looking in the mirror wondering where all that extra weight came from. I already learned that lesson the hard way.

Wouldn’t it be cool if a holographic message “popped up” telling you the truth like that with each decision you make?  

You’d be forced to pause and think twice before sending that angry text, or withholding love in a relationship, or spending money you don’t have, or procrastinating on something you committed to doing, or skipping that workout, or whatever that action is that today – or 100 years from now – would not be contributing to the best possible outcome for your life, for your loved ones or for the planet.

By bringing consciousness and presence to each moment, we create space for that “holographic warning sign” to show up on the screen of our lives, helping us to take steps in a positive direction.

The truth is, we already “know” – we just have to choose to listen