PRACTICE: “Better to shun the bait than struggle in the snare.” John Dryden. What is your bait? What is your snare?
I read this quote after returning from a business meeting where I was completely and utterly defeated by sugar and carbohydrates. As I drove the two and a half hours to the meeting, I built a solid plan of action for victory over the two foes…mainly based upon non-participation in the morning and afternoon breaks. I would eat a hearty breakfast and remove myself from the snack area at break time – eat a healthy hearty lunch and remove myself from the snack premises in the afternoon. The plan failed miserably because snack time is also the time when one gets to engage with colleagues from other geographical areas and old friends. The bait of engagement pulled me into the snare of the snacks.
I do believe in the validity of the quote. The bait and snare are great metaphors for the things in my life that pull me under. If I want to eat healthy meals, I can’t fill the freezer and cupboards (snare) with processed and unhealthy provision (bait) no matter how good they taste or how convenient they are to use. If I want to clear my mind of hatred and negative thoughts and live a more peace filled life, I can’t watch the “breaking news” (bait) 24/7 on the TV (snare).
Of course, shunning the bait to reduce or prevent a struggle in the snare is easier said than done. The bait is almost always seductive and enticing. One of my chief baiters is a good sale at my favorite department store(snare). I know the cycle of the sale and I get an email with advance notice. The current state of our environment has forced me to curtail my visits to malls etc. which meant that I decided to ignore the announcement of the sales (bait). I struggled at home rather than at the store where the bait of paying 75% less than the original price would have undoubtedly won.
The moral of this tale is about taking control of our actions before having to act. That, my dear friends, means that the most detrimental bait is in our head. Control your thoughts and your actions will reflect it.
PONDER THIS THOUGHT--- My struggles are most often won or lost by my thoughts.
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