It's Okay To Cheat A Little Bit

My father had a saying that I quote all the time.  He said, “everything in moderation – including moderation.”  I have embraced that philosophy all of my life and it’s worked out very well.  I’ve come to believe that it’s okay to cheat a little bit now and then because life can get pretty crazy if you follow the rules all the time.  Following a diet and eating healthily makes all the sense in the world.  In my opinion, however, you can follow that discipline for a longer time if you allow yourself a little “cheat” now and then.  A little “cheating” here and there can actually get you to stay focused longer and get better results if you build in a permission system to let yourself enjoy a little treat now and then.

Most psychologists would call this a reward system, but I think it’s a little more enticing if you call it what it is: cheating!  I’m very aware that red meat should be limited in a person’s diet but every once in a while, I enjoy a hamburger and absolutely love a steak!  Even worse, I always finish my grilled steak with garlic butter.  There’s nothing better than a steak dinner with a glass of red wine or even two glasses of red wine.  In my way of thinking, if I am disciplined enough to go on the treadmill and exercise on a regular basis, I deserve a reward.  It’s perfectly acceptable to cheat a little bit if you’ve been fairly well-behaved for ninety nine percent of the time.

Life is meant to be enjoyed.  If you followed all the rules made up by the doctors and scientists, you’d never leave your house, and you’d never have any fun.  I’ve read many stories about people who reach a ripe old age and have done so by smoking and drinking and getting by on four or five hours of sleep.  George Burns smoked cigars and Winston Churchill drank a bottle of brandy a day.  Am I telling anyone to do this?  Of course not.  But, if you cheat a little bit now and then, I don’t think it’s the end of the world.  But I also believe there is one exception to this.  There is one area where you should never cheat at all.  I believe relationships are the most important thing in a person’s life and they should never be taken for granted or compromised in any way.

You can cheat a little bit in diets and exercise programs, but never in relationships.

The most important relationship in my life is the one I’m most proud of and that is the one I have with my wife.  I married a saint and we were blessed with two wonderful children.  The relationship I have with my wife and children is something I would guard with my life.  No cheating here.  No dishonesty of any kind.  You can cheat a little bit on a lot of things but not with the relationships you have with the people closest to you.  I know too many people who struggle with their marriage and children, and it is heartbreaking to watch.

Quite often, if you learn a little bit about what triggered the division, it will come down to a lack of full honesty on someone’s part and forgetting about a critical fact in life: you cannot really change a person.  They are who they are and you can’t make them into a different person.  You can change some behaviors, and you should try if those actions are destructive, but the person has to want to change.  No relationship is without problems but the way you work through those problems determines the quality of your interactions with each other.  Relationships should be treasured and, if there’s someone in your life with whom you want to mend your ways with, is definitely worth trying.  I recommend counseling and an honest approach with the person you have in mind.  Remember, you’re not alone.  People who reach our age are always interested in looking at ways to having a more fulfilled life and putting their relationships in order is very important and worth effort.  It isn’t easy but taking the first step is usually enough to get things back on the right track.

Life is meant to be enjoyed.  Whether it’s an evening cocktail, a delicious steak dinner or an ice cream sundae for dessert, throw caution to the wind and do it.  As my father said, everything in moderation – including moderation!  It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!

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