It’s the mid 18th Century.
———- Note: It’s not. It’s 2019. I’m doing one those clever scene setting things ———-
You are French philosopher Denis Diderot.
———- Also not true. See above ———–
You have just published an essay entitled “Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown”.
———- Ditto. I’ll stop now ————-
In this essay Diderot explains the story of how he was given a fancy new dressing gown as a gift.
Said dressing gown led him to be dissatisfied with the rest of his possessions and he subsequently replaced his old straw chair with a Moroccan leather chair, his desk with a fancy writing table, his favourite paintings with more expensive ones, and so on.
Having formerly been very happy with his situation (particularly his old dressing gown) he realised he’d slid down a slippery slope of dissatisfaction.
As the goal posts kept moving.
Something we’re all prone to.
We lose some weight and concentrate more on the weight left to lose.
We get stronger, faster and / or fitter…………..
And compare ourselves to ever stronger, faster and fitter people.
We maintain (weight or whatever else) during a more difficult time and don’t see the value in that when we could (or would) have otherwise gone backwards.
We put so much of what we do on a daily and weekly basis (lots) down as “expected behaviour”……….
And lament the few things that didn’t get done.
So whilst it’s nice to keep moving towards new dressing gowns (goals)……….
Don’t forgot to recognise how much you’ve done and how far you’ve come.
Measure backwards and see the progress………
Rather than just concentrating on the ‘gap’ in front.
Much love,
Jon ‘Chanel No 5’ Hall and Matt ‘Wee Willie Winkie’ Nicholson
