When you were a child, you wondered what was inside that big gift box under the tree. They told you it was yours, maybe even threw Santa Claus and his high flying reindeer. But you had no control over the contents. The gift might’ve turned out to be your most cherished possession, or an ugly sweater, or dud puzzle, or boring educational game that someone decided would help you in the long run.
As you grew older (and after a sufficient amount of duds), you realized you could control the contents of your own box. If you were willing to do chores and sacrifice and save your nickels and dimes, you could get the bicycle or BB gun or necklace that YOU wanted. You could fill your own box.
This is where the story gets a bit convoluted, where individual attitudes and perceptions and experiences explode into a million fragmented realities. Some people never learned to control the contents of their box. They embraced a false utopia of grace, wishing, hoping, praying, and even begging without the slightest inclination toward the work and sacrifice involved in controlling your own box. They wanted to be great comedians, but didn’t want to eat canned sardines and crackers, and sleep in the back of their car for years like Steve Harvey did. They wanted to be great athletes, but didn’t want to go to the gym at 4 AM every morning seven days a week like Michael Jordan did. They wanted the perfect body like super model Kelly Brook, but could stay away from the Popeye’s Chicken two-for-one special.
What’s in your box? The absolutely wonderful, glorious, indisputable news is it’s not too late to control the contents.
Let’s focus on one example. If your most cherished gift would be to see your grandchildren walk across the graduation stage, do your part to control your longevity. Get off those big steaks, fried chicken and pancakes loaded down with syrup. Clear that Blue Bell out of the freezer. Start reading the labels on your soaps and shampoos. See which ones are dumping loads of cancer-causing toxins into your body each week … Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Formaldehyde, Parabens, Polyethylene, Cocamidopropyl Betaine. They’re killing you. But they’re using big, fancy names to do it.
Updated list of killer shampoos.
Studies show a twenty minute walk each day reduces the probability of dementia by 40%. Get some 1000 mg krill and mild CBD oil to quiet down those aches and pains (I have zero pain). Get away from that anxiety-feeding, Trump-terror TV, grab a big stick for the dogs, and get out there and walk. Otherwise, you may live to see your grandchildren walk across the stage. But you won’t know which family they belong to.
YOU HAVE TO FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE. YOU HAVE TO FIGHT TO CONTROL THE CONTENTS OF YOUR BOX.
Stop right now! Decide what you want in your 2021 box. On a personal note, last year I decided I wanted my new business book (finished) in my 2020 Christmas box. I tuned out the political noise and mud-slinging to get it done. You can do the same thing, even more, so much more. Let this Christmas be an official mandate on the contents of next year’s box. Declare this day what you want, and then go out and make it happen.
Merry Christmas!
Leander Jackie Grogan