Possibly the greatest problem many people in society face is their own laziness. According to Gregory Allen Butler, in his article Boredom and Laziness – A Vicious Circle, “Everybody experiences boredom and laziness. But some people make it a way of life. They are chronically lazy and bored. They become addicted to laziness.”
I think I am becoming one of those types of people, and frankly, it’s a huge obstacle. I have been taking tennis lessons for a while now, and I could be pretty good right now if I got off the computer and practiced for an hour or two every week. Unfortunately, I often can’t discipline myself to go out and practice. In addition to tennis, I also take karate. Twice every year, tournaments are held where we show our skills to judges who rate us; whoever gets the highest rating wins. It takes a lot of practice to really do well at these competitions, and I generally don’t do well because I don’t practice as much as I should. This flaw has really created a huge void in my life from which I really need to escape. I find myself feeling like a failure almost every day.
I am not the only person who has problems with laziness. Apparently, 8 out of 10 adults over the age of 25 are overweight, and 78% of Americans are not meeting the basic activity level recommendations. The point is, most people are too lazy to get off the TV and get a little bit of exercise. If Gregory Allen Butler is to be believed, laziness becomes a way of life that people have a really hard time getting out of. Laziness is a problem that is afflicting people all over the world, and it probably started to become a problem when they were my age.
Now there have been times where I have shown self discipline in my life. The greatest example was two years ago, when I tested for my black belt. I practiced almost every day, and took the dog for a walk to get in shape. Needless to say, I passed the test.
Michael Phelps, who recently had his reputation harmed by a run in with drugs, is nonetheless the only person to ever win eight Olympic Gold medals. He trained for hours every single day, and pushed himself to do the impossible. The amount of training and fitness required to do what Michael Phelps did is virtually unimaginable. Honestly, I don’t think I could ever push myself that hard.
Laziness has put a big hole in my life. It will be really hard for me to climb out of the pit, particularly because I might not be able to discipline myself to try to make the climb. Right now, I think I am digging my own grave, but maybe, just maybe, I can put the shovel down and make the climb.
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