Shock Therapy


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There's nothing like grotesque images of the biological consequences of a bad choice to provide a personal epiphany. Why is it that we humans need to SEE the impact of our short-sightedness before changing our ways, when we've known better all along? Why do we need to hit rock bottom before choosing a better path? Why is it that so many of us walk until our toes just barely cross the point of no return (or perhaps until everything but our toes has crossed that point) before it dawns on us that we may have let things get out of control somewhere down the line?

We all know that this blind descent doesn't stop at smoking. Many precious commodities of our spoiled, western lifestyle consume our attention and our hearts daily: Poor eating habits, poor spending habits, hoarding, alcoholism, pride, poor anger management, poor time management, self-centredness, workaholism, an unquenchable thirst for entertainment, vanity, little white lies, uncritical thinking, unfaithfulness, poor work ethics, consumerism, materialism, and especially living a dull, pacified life - a life without vision.

We each have our own little tendencies, but it's never too late to learn from the mistakes of others (see photo above), and from our own as well (you know what those are)! The difference between an unexamined life and an examined life is like the difference between wading through a dark, murky bog and charging through the waters of a crystal clear lagoon. We don't need hideous images to shock us back into reality. The reality is that at any moment - this minute, even - we DO have the wherewithal to deeply and thoughtfully consider each choice we make, this road we're travelling, where it's taking us, and how we want our choices to influence the world once we're gone.

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