Thank You . . . I Am Inconsistent! December 17, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Humor, Mindfulness.trackback
Consistency is consistently over-rated.
* Consistency makes us predictable. That can be a great help to others in anticipating our acts and reactions. But it may be a hindrance to us.
We are, all of us, in the process of becoming.
To become more fully who we were always meant to be, we need to embrace change.
* Consistency gives us a sense of control because we know that we didn’t care for green eggs and ham yesterday and probably won’t like them any better today.
Of course, nothing in nature is stagnant ~ neither should we be.
We are not who we once were.
* Consistency makes us feel “right.” As if we’ve figured out the answers and need not ponder the questions any longer.
Because of our routines, we forget that life is an ongoing adventure. ~ Maya Angelou
Boredom arises from routine. Joy, wonder, rapture, arise from surprise. ~ Leo Buscaglia
Re-considering self-imposed boundaries and our consistent consistency is a good thing.
That’s why, when someone accuses me of being inconsistent, I give them my best Mona Lisa S~M~I~L~E.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Comments
Sorry comments are closed for this entry
Spirit Lights The Way 
Well Nancy, all I can say to that is that you are always surprising!
Thank you, Rainee!
I think that in adulthood, then clinging to consistency is no more than an egoically-driven neurosis. It holds us in a stasis of identity which may issue out of a fear for how may appear to others. However, in one’s parenting role, I think consistency is a supremely valuable quality – always assuming that one is consistently doing a decent parenting job of course.
Consistency as a parent can be good or bad, depending upon the underlying practices in question. Parents should be able to change their minds and improve/tailor their parenting techniques over time without pretending to be infallible.
“Yes. That is what I said yesterday. But I learned something today that made me change my mind.”
Kids are resilient. They bounce more often than they break. Maybe it would be good for them to see that life is not intended to be stagnant.
And, if parents surprised their kids on occasion . . . maybe they’d stop texting and pay attention.
Excellent! I need to take some advice from you and Maya. I freak out when my routine is interrupted. I need to work on that in 2015. 🙂
Who is Maya? If she wrote something about disrupting our routines, can you pop back with the link? (SEE NOTE BELOW)
Some routines are worth following ~ exercise, eating right, meditating, bathing. (Bathing is good.)
But if we get too wedded to a set schedule, we lose that inner flexibility and resilience that we enjoyed as a child. Maybe you can have one “Go With The Flow” day each month . . . where you just ask yourself, “What do I want to do NOW?”
Never mind . . . you meant the quote by Maya.
I need COFFEE. That’s what I get for disrupting my routine. 😛
I was referring to the Maya Angelou quote…my routine is disrupting my adventure. 🙂
Oh yes, bathing is a good routine. That’s a great idea to have one “Go With the Flow” day each month. I might have to give that a try.
Here’s to remaining Awake and Aware . . . once we’ve had our COFFEE.
Consistency is comforting and reassuring. Very important as Hariod says when we are children … and also when we are feeling insecure.
Yet, when it rules our lives we limit ourselves from living fully.
It goes against nature after all 🙂
Before relying on reassuring routine and comforting consistency to bolster ourselves up (i.e., to act as a numbing agent), perhaps we should ask: “Why do I feel insecure?”
Maybe someone didn’t live up to the expectations that we “set” for them? Solution: STOP setting expectations for others.
Maybe someone is annoyed that we didn’t live up to their expectations for us? Solution: STOP worrying about what THEY think.
Maybe it’s time for us to let go of our “security blankets” and face the world anew.
I hear you Nancy .. yet there are people who are unaware of their security blankets. They just think its the way life has always been and will always be. They get angry when dealing with change and resentful of others “making” them. Can you tell I’m dealing with someone like this – who is old, afraid and stubborn as a mule right now.
Maybe its a time for a post about compassion …. ❤
Oh, yes. I know just what you mean. When we tried to convince my parents to evaluate other living arrangements, they flapped their mulish ears and dug in their heels to put on the brakes. “We don’t need to talk about that right now!”
Sending an extra heaping helping of COMPASSION your way.
I like consistency but I am learning to roll with the punches.. 😀
The more we practice rolling with the punches, the more easily we accept the “what is” as it is . . .
I tend to stick to routines (especially when it comes to kids doing homework and going to bed by a certain time!) But it’s true that routines can become boring and stale, so I should throw in some unpredictability in once in a while 🙂
Ooh . . . one night you could start a Marshmallow Fight with them as soon as their homework is done! (Unless “they’ve” eaten all the marshmallows) ~> Pillow Fight!
SURPRISING kids is a good thing. It reinforces their inherent “be here now” mentality ~ something we tend to “lose” (have weeded out of us) as we age. And it forces parents to look at situations from a different perspective.
If habits and routines are “working well” . . . FINE. If not, some experimentation may be just the thing.
I need to work on being inconsistent!! Great post!
Thanks, Kate. Tossing out our “scripts” from time to time reminds us to be mindful of new possibilities.
A good reminder for me today! I have just been offered a most wonderful opportunity, completely out of the blue and my first response was ‘No’ as it would disrupt my life too much ………. a rethink is in progress!
I just bumped into this quote on Tiny’s blog:
The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. – Christopher McCandless
Thank you.
Good luck with your rethink!
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
When I was working and someone would explain something silly by saying, that’s the way we’ve always done it, I’d pull out this quote … and usually draw blank stares. 🙂
Yes! That’s a great quote, Judson.
I always grin when someone wants me to revert back to previous behaviors/ patterns by saying something along the lines of, “Well, you USED TO like . . . ”
My goal today is NOT to be who I was Yesterday.
Such interesting and thought-provoking responses. That’s why I so consistently return to your blog. Always something good on going here. I like that “hobgoblin” quote.
Thanks, Barbara. I’m glad that you consistently return here and that you consistently entertain and amuse us on your blog.
And that’s no hobgoblin!
I have not worn a watch for years, decide to go places on the spur of the moment and give in when the body tells me to rest. No two days are the same.
No watch? No problem.
“What time is it?”
“It’s NOW.”
No time like the present!
ROFLOL!
Glad it gave you a giggle, GM.
I might emulate your lead and leave off wearing a watch in 2015 ~ one less thing to think about.
Same thing with un/predictability here. 🙂
Yes! Question your life. Never get comfortable with it. Keep reinventing yourself.
It’s like the old bridal custom of “something old, something new.” We need a little of each.
Maintaining life balance is challenging, especially if we are afraid to let go of who we were to become more fully who we want to be. For example, many people stay stuck in dead end careers chosen in their 20’s because they are unwilling to explore other options/ possibilities. I’m not convinced that we are meant to build a box, climb into it, and stay put for the next 50 years.
If hobbies, homes, friends, careers, etc. still bring us joy, great. If not, it’s good to shake things up a bit.
I love the pizzaz of your lifestyle!
Thanks, VG! Pizzaz is a FUN word.
Great post Nancy! And excellent advice! I’m probably only consistent with my breakfast routine…and Bumble’s walks (I better be unless I want extra work). Adventures await when we do the unexpected…
Taking care of pets does require reliability & consistency. And if we have a job, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of showing up on time. But mixing things up and shifting things around keeps up from getting stuck in a rut of our own making.
Sometimes even a small shift pays huge dividends because we’re on heightened alert instead of “phoning it in.”
So true Nancy. Hubby is the ‘consistent’ one in the family although we both love adventure – or at least the sense or idea of adventure ;-)Consistency is consistently over-rated – LOVE that!
Thanks, Yolanda. Moving . . . that’s always an adventure!
Especially when you’re still recuperating. Toss the holidays on top of that and you better stock up on CHOCOLATE.
I enjoyed this post, I am inconsistent, was planning on keeping up with all of the wonderful writers I ‘met’ through Jill’s posts and have fallen far behind on reading. Hope it is okay to push like and leave only a few comments… Smiles!
More than OK. Thanks for stopping by!
Yes! I was glad to see the Emerson quote of “Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” He wrote and entire essay on the downside of being consistent and I so agree. People who don’t embrace inconsistency (at least some times) are far too rigid and predictable. They would never make a blogger 🙂
Well put! For some, consistency is the “red badge of courage,” as if the current status quo is as high as we can go.