Most of us know people who take whims. We might even act on a few ourselves. What’s wrong with that? We may decide we don’t like our job, our spouse, or the place where we live–and walk out. We may take up tennis or gardening for awhile , then quit. What kind of person are you? Do you take whims or stick to it?
For the past 15 years, I’ve attended a class in tai chi at least twice a week. Tai chi has helped me walk again after a bad fall,and several bouts of sciatica and arthritis. Its meditation techniques have gotten me through personal sorrows. With all the obvious benefits tai chi has to offer, I’m saddened by the fact that so many people take it up on a whim, then leave after a few months.
Why would a person give up on a simple practice that has so many psychological and physical benefits?. Tai chi is cheap and easy. But it does require plain old stick-to-itiveness to reap the benefits. Maybe you started for the wrong reasons. To lose weight? Actually, it’s not a vigorous exercise, and it won’t work off those extra calories you consume every day. However, if you stay with it long enough, it may calm you down, and reduce “stress eating.”
There’s an old saying, “Losers quit when they’re tired; winners quit when they’ve won.” The quote is about determination, and the willingness to persevere. If someone drops out of an activity because it’s tiring, and they haven’t gotten the desired results soon enough, they’ve lost the time and effort they invested, and wasted an opportunity to succeed.
Do you ever look back on your childhood, and wish you’d stuck with those music lessons? If you had, you might have become a country music star or a concert pianist. Did you take some bridge lessons once, then quit because you weren’t winning right away? If you had stuck with it, you could have an enjoyable pastime even if you live to be 90.