The elastic limit

Beware of the elastic limit of life. It is that one thing that you cannot afford to ignore because it is a life changer. It is that one part about life that cannot be undone because past that point just like a taut string, it snaps and even if steps are taken to return things to how they were it is never quite the same. Living after the limit has been surpassed is like learning to live with an amputation. You are never quite the same.

Life is a cumulation of experiences that are a result of decisions and choices we make. These experiences or situations created through the decisions we make can be reversed. However, there is a limit to everything. Every situation reaches that point where any further continuation of the current conditions will make them practically irreversible (not completely irreversible).

The elastic limit applies to both the negative and positive choices in life. For instance, if you choose to invest the much you have in assets as opposed to liabilities eventually, you will have more money than what you need to survive and you won’t have to struggle to make ends meet. (read cashflow by Robert Kiyosaki highly recommended). Similarly, if you choose to invest in liabilities as opposed to assets, you will get to a point of devastation where you will probably lose the little you have in assets as well as the liabilities.

Why do you suppose the poor get poorer and the rich get richer? Of course, aside from problems such as corruption what else do you think may be a cause. Sometimes, we get so accustomed to a certain line of thought that at some point it becomes too difficult to change it; it becomes your reality. You accept poverty as your lot in life or you accept that being rich is everything and you lose sight of the fundamental joys of life.

If you want to live an ordinary comfortable life, then learn to balance. That means not exceeding the elastic limit. You will not struggle and because your decisions are calculated you will be able to mend any situations that don’t sit right with you. However, if you want an extraordinary life, then exceed the limit. I said beware earlier because just like a cliff once you jump off, the only way to go is down. As discussed in an earlier article about making choices, be sure you can handle the consequences. So should you choose to jump, make sure you jump off the right cliff preferably with a water body; And make sure you can swim! It won’t be worth it if you drown.

When you make choices that cause you mental, psychological, emotional or physical distress eventually they will break you. Just like a heartbreak you will eventually recover but you won’t be the same. Similarly, if you make choices that make you feel good, that positively influence your life and that guide you to your desired end state, you will eventually get to the point where it is effortless and you will not need to struggle to attain it. You will have it and everything you do will serve as an added advantage.

So, choose the right cliff……or just stand at the top and enjoy the view!