Guest Post by Simon Black
In the summer of 1687, after years of study and reflection, the legendary English scientist Isaac Newton published one of the most important works in the history of the world.
He called it Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, and the insights Newton wrote about shaped the very world we live in today.
Literally *nothing* in modern engineering, from iPhones to skyscrapers, would exist today without Newton and his three-volume treatise.
Among the many game-changing concepts he discussed were his now famous Laws of Motion.
Newton’s first law of motion, for example, is often summarized as something like “an object at rest stays at rest, unless acted upon by an external force.”
Makes sense. A rock isn’t going anywhere unless someone picks it up and throws it.
And this is true not only of objects in our universe, but of human behavior as well.
Human beings are creatures of habit; our species resists change and succumbs to the inertia of our lives. When at rest, we tend to stay at rest.
Think about it: do you ever wonder why so many people are in unhealthy, destructive relationships? Or why they remain in jobs that they hate working for bosses they despise?
It’s because of inertia.
We know deep down when we need to make a change. And often we know what we need to do. But inertia is the reason why we don’t do what’s necessary to improve our lives.
There are countless different forms of inertia.
For example, life gets in the way, and we procrastinate. We put things off and just never get around to taking action. This is a type of inertia.
Or, our ‘normalcy bias’ makes us believe that, no matter how much chaos we see before our very eyes, everything will get better soon… so we don’t take any action.
Or, we recognize that taking action might create conflict. And since most people prefer to avoid conflict, we take the easier road, follow the crowd, and abdicate our decision-making to other people.
Or, we have a great fear of the unknown. And we’d rather suffer a known danger than accept the risk of an uncertain outcome.
Or (especially these days), more and more people are being taught to think of themselves as helpless victims who have no control over the direction of their lives. We’re rewarded for coming up with excuses rather than for taking action.
Each of these is a form of inertia, and there are many more. But they each lead to the same place: inaction.
The funny thing about inertia, though, is that it is simultaneously one of the costliest aspects of our lives, yet one of the easiest to overcome.
Inertia holds us back. It prevents us from achieving what we really want from life.
But overcoming inertia is simply a choice. There’s no special skill… no privilege required.
Anyone from any circumstance or background has the ability to choose: today I’m going to start taking action. I’ll educate myself and gather every tool or resource available to me to improve my life.
Again, this is merely a choice… and only requires summoning the willpower to follow through on that choice.
No one needs to move mountains to get started. It only takes a few baby steps.
For example, I’ve long been talking about the need to set up a Plan B. This is something that makes sense. In light of everything that’s happened in the world lately, it’s only rational to have a Plan B.
Deep down I think most folks recognize this is completely sensible.
But then inertia takes over. For whatever the reason, days, weeks, and then months go by… and we still haven’t started.
This is not uncommon. But it’s easy to fix.
Remember– baby steps. Any time you find that you need to overcome inertia, ask yourself, “What’s the most important thing I can do right now to get moving in the right direction?”
It’s a great question to ask about your business, your relationships, and your life in general… as well as with your Plan B.
It is my sincere desire to provide readers of this site with the best unbiased information available, and a forum where it can be discussed openly, as our Founders intended. But it is not easy nor inexpensive to do so, especially when those who wish to prevent us from making the truth known, attack us without mercy on all fronts on a daily basis. So each time you visit the site, I would ask that you consider the value that you receive and have received from The Burning Platform and the community of which you are a vital part. I can't do it all alone, and I need your help and support to keep it alive. Please consider contributing an amount commensurate to the value that you receive from this site and community, or even by becoming a sustaining supporter through periodic contributions. [Burning Platform LLC - PO Box 1520 Kulpsville, PA 19443] or Paypal
-----------------------------------------------------
To donate via Stripe, click here.
-----------------------------------------------------
Use promo code ILMF2, and save up to 66% on all MyPillow purchases. (The Burning Platform benefits when you use this promo code.)
You know the last thing a bug sees when it hits the windshield……………ITS ASS.
Plan B’s don’t hold the same weight as Double D’s.
Triple, double D’s. Like Al Bundy says “One in back…for slow dancing”.
My Plan B is the same as Plan A, but with moar whiskey and moar bullets.
It seems to me the whole world has been ‘chewing’ on a plan B for years now. Not only that but what the heck was plan A? I suggest we pick the tone arm up off the record and see how many chairs are left. I’m getting old and would like to see how this cluster f’k is going to end. Just say-in.
Molotov cocktails thrown on my roof in the middle of the night seems a likely tactic used by marauders who have been turned back by bullets and buckshot. Who has a plan for that?
German Shepherd dogs inside the perimeter won’t allow them to get close enough to throw it to the roof.
So, too,…A body in motion will remain in motion, unless acted on, by an outside force.
e.g., a 150 lb. swift skater on a hockey floor getting creamed by a 210 lb. fatass ankle bender that can’t skate worth a shit, but has no problem crashing head on, into Little Guys Restless, using superior mass, and weight.
Painful physics lesson in this instance, Newton.
At 60, there was some cussing after the collision.
Plan B?
Next meetup, give fatso a BC 2-hander in the lower back, or a slash to the calf. Right, RiNS?
As Gordie said once long ago:
“Revenge is a sweet fruit, best enjoyed after giving a little time to let it ripen.”
Best served cold.
My son is tall for his age (97%tile, 13 y.o.) but of average weight (~120lbs). He played in a local league with some 200 pounders. One of his coaches said he was so fast he could evade the check into the boards; which was generally true, but not always. I’d wince when he got crushed, but he would get up, dust the ice off his jersey, and resume play. He started a bit late (8) but that is when Gordie started.
I teach a homeschool physics class and most things can be reduced, derived, or integrated into F=MA. Scoring or denying the score is the best, cold revenge in hockey.