We disembarked from the plane together. Once inside the terminal, a decision separated us: the stairs or the escalator. To my disappointment, almost everyone chose the escalator.
The situation annoyed me. We had been sitting for two and a half hours. If anything, we all should have been walking up the stairs – stretching, moving, and enjoying the health benefits of a light walk after a stagnant trip. Why were we not choosing the healthier and superior option?
We like the path of least resistance. It is easy, comfortable, and reliable. It requires considerably less effort and provides a consistent result, but the problem with consistently taking the easy route is that it unconsciously infiltrates our behavior, cascading into our actions and hijacking our belief system. We constantly seek the shortcut, neglecting the areas that deserve the totality of added effort – relationships, crafts, health.
The example provided is trivial, but the principle is profound: demand added effort where it is needed and deserved. Resist the subtle nudge of the comfortable, painless path. Take the stairs. For the rest, the escalator will suffice.
