.018 - habits(temptations): revisted

A few posts back, I essentially wrote about how temptations or habits can bring us down and keep us from where we need to be. But I don't think dealing with them is really that simple. And by taking such a simple stance on it, I believe that I am laughing in the face of people that haven't yet overcome whatever temptation is setting them back, myself included.

Let's bring this conversation down to concrete terms for a minute. Let's say you're distracted for a moment when a certain person brings their celestial presence into your viscinity. The Emmanuel from habits version 1.0 in this situation would have reacted something like this:

"Oh my god..."
"I shouldn't be looking at her, it's wrong."
"Stop."
"Good...now just keep doing your paper and focus on what it's gonna make you someday"

But the problem comes around this very line. If I don't deal with something as simple as a pretty woman coming across my path, do you think it'd be any different when I get older and successful? Let alone tomorrow? A desire is fueled every time a temptation is present and that fire never goes out (at least not that simply). By not addressing it head on, I might be even worse off later.

We have to learn to face issues and find a balance between what we want and what we need to do. It's just part of growing up and I can't just reject the nature put inside of me. Good stories aren't about knowing exactly what a problem is and doing the inverse to negate it's effects. Life isn't that easy. It's about the struggles before victory. Before, I can grow into a suave, eloquent, uber-confident man, I have to be rejected. MANY times.

Sure there are morals that everyone person follows and they're meant to warn you. But you cannot just take your morals for granted. I've realized that there are too many rules that I lived by, yet don't know why I stand for them. It is a lack of a foundation that knocks my tree down everytime a wind blows.

But I am not afraid of mistakes and in fact I am starting to embrace them. I believe that temptations are only temptations if you never grow roots after the encounter. Because when the roots grow, the winds suddenly become a breeze.