Bodies in motion tend to stay in motion and bodies at rest tend to stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. So summarizes Sir Isaac Newton's concept of inertia as described in his first law of motion. Although Newton was undoubtedly concerned with the motion of physical bodies, I think of inertia more in terms of human bodies; specifically how we live our lives day to day.
Isn't it funny how we all fall into habits? Some of those habits are good and some are bad. Either way, they are very difficult to get out of. If the habit involves doing something it is hard to stop. If the habit involves doing nothing, it is hard to get going. Don't blame it on willpower or desire; blame in on Sir Isaac Newton!
The best thing to do in life is to do things differently from time to time. Having the same morning routine, watching the same shows every day or every week, ordering the same foods at a restaurant are all good ways to become inertia's BFF. One needs to get outside of the comfort zones we surround ourselves with and do something new to grow every day. Maybe that is practicing another language, or a musical instrument, or learning a new recipe or researching a new subject. Continuing to expand our horizons in new and innovative ways helps us make the most of the precious little time we have.
Perhaps I should take a little more advice. My area of improvement involves setting a body in motion when it tends to be at rest. More specifically, I need to get my butt to the gym. I tend to find reasons why I can't get to the gym instead of finding reasons why I can. I like working out, I just find it difficult to get there. Once I get started I am pumped up to go, but it is the getting there that is the hard part. I made a promise to my daughter that I would be healthier by the end of the year. I am 7 1/2 months in and haven't made much progress. That will change. Next week I will go to the gym and overcome my inertia.
I believe that Confucius knew much more about inertia than he let on. He said, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." He understood that getting moving was the most difficult part of any sojourn; that the rest would be much easier after that. I challenge you to find your own areas of inertia and do something to get moving, or perhaps, slow down. Take a step to start something you have been meaning to start or to stop something you have been meaning to stop. Let's all do a little something new to get from where we are to where we want to go. Sharks die if they stop moving. Be a shark. Doing something, no matter how small, is much better than doing nothing.
Isn't it funny how we all fall into habits? Some of those habits are good and some are bad. Either way, they are very difficult to get out of. If the habit involves doing something it is hard to stop. If the habit involves doing nothing, it is hard to get going. Don't blame it on willpower or desire; blame in on Sir Isaac Newton!
The best thing to do in life is to do things differently from time to time. Having the same morning routine, watching the same shows every day or every week, ordering the same foods at a restaurant are all good ways to become inertia's BFF. One needs to get outside of the comfort zones we surround ourselves with and do something new to grow every day. Maybe that is practicing another language, or a musical instrument, or learning a new recipe or researching a new subject. Continuing to expand our horizons in new and innovative ways helps us make the most of the precious little time we have.
Perhaps I should take a little more advice. My area of improvement involves setting a body in motion when it tends to be at rest. More specifically, I need to get my butt to the gym. I tend to find reasons why I can't get to the gym instead of finding reasons why I can. I like working out, I just find it difficult to get there. Once I get started I am pumped up to go, but it is the getting there that is the hard part. I made a promise to my daughter that I would be healthier by the end of the year. I am 7 1/2 months in and haven't made much progress. That will change. Next week I will go to the gym and overcome my inertia.
I believe that Confucius knew much more about inertia than he let on. He said, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." He understood that getting moving was the most difficult part of any sojourn; that the rest would be much easier after that. I challenge you to find your own areas of inertia and do something to get moving, or perhaps, slow down. Take a step to start something you have been meaning to start or to stop something you have been meaning to stop. Let's all do a little something new to get from where we are to where we want to go. Sharks die if they stop moving. Be a shark. Doing something, no matter how small, is much better than doing nothing.
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