The house I grew up in was on a large corner lot in a lovely suburban neighborhood. Our beautifully manicured lawn was difficult to maintain because the neighborhood kids used it as a thoroughfare to quickly get from one street to the next. They used our front lawn to literally “cut the corner” and shave some time off their route through the ‘hood.
For the past several years my family has been busy visiting colleges in search of a perfect fit for each of our sons. On one recent visit, the student tour guide said “Notice that no one walks on the grass here at our college. There are no shortcuts in life, we make sure not to cut corners here at college either.” I loved hearing this! If we are paying attention, there are life lessons all around us!
Do you ever cut corners in your life? It can be very tempting to do something the quickest, easiest or least expensive way. My own personal examples are putting only 1/2 tank of gas in my car when I am in a rush, getting only a portion of what I need at the grocery store because I am pressed for time, and fast-forwarding through one of my workout DVDs so I can check exercise off my to-do list. Every time I cut corners, I save molehills of time but gain mountains of regret. By mid-week, I am out of gas, without any bananas or berries and have not completed the fitness circles on my watch.
What happens when we start cutting corners with our health? We don't restock our vitamins or make follow-up appointments with our doctors. We floss so fast that we are barely hitting every other tooth. Worse than that, we go to bed without brushing our teeth. We stop taking our prescriptions as soon as we start feeling a bit better. And we cancel mammograms and colonoscopies because we are just too busy. This week I watched someone nearly pass out at an area fitness center because she had skipped two meals. While it may seem that taking shortcuts will save time and make our lives easier, in the end, it may actually end up costing us more.
When the neighborhood kids cut corners by trampling on the lawn my Dad worked so hard to keep perfect, the only damage was inconsequential. The corners we cut with ourselves can be significant. The next time we are tempted to skip the flossing and pass over the produce aisle at the grocery store to save time, think of the college kids at a beautiful campus in New England that are taking the long route to class as a reminder that shortcuts aren’t always the best path in life.