What do you think?

"Imagine making a promise when in fact, you know you would benefit from not keeping it. Would you keep it anyway?"

This question was posed in yesterday's post and I've been thinking about it ever since. How would you answer that question?

And what if you thought you would benefit from a commitment you made, and then found that more benefits would be had if you didn't follow through? What would you do then?

Which brings me to the question of instant gratification vs delayed gratification. Is this what happens when I make a commitment to myself of "no more junk food" and then when confronted with chips and dip, I'm right away having some? Is it that the immediate benefit outweighs the not so immediate benefit?

And does this make me an opportunist? Or merely human? And what about you? How do you handle delayed gratification, hasty commitments, and unrealistic promises? Do you think it would be helpful to create for yourself a habit of renegotiating, renewing, or rethinking what you say "yes" to?

And while we're on the subject of "yes," I'd like to point out that every "yes" has it's inherent "no." For example, "yes" to yet another slice of pizza may actually be "no" to a night without heartburn. At the same time, "no" to taking time for yourself to relax, or create, may actually be a "yes" to stress or unhappiness.

So, there you have it. Plenty of things to think about, questions to ponder, and answers to post!