Getting Past Stumbling Blocks

I’ve been thinking some more about one of the conclusive observations made by Malcolm Gladwell in his book, The Tipping Point. You can read my initial comments on the book here in a recent post.

The Tipping Point is about group dynamics, uniquely tabbed “the social epidemic” by the author. Contents of the book cover the motivational aspects of how and why we conduct ourselves a certain way as well as how we are affected by others and how others might be affected by our behavior.

What I have been contemplating is his summarization of the actions of the three active participants in the Biblical parable of The Good Samaritan. Here is what he said:

“What this seems to indicate is that the convictions of one’s heart and the actual contents of one’s thoughts are less important, in the end, in guiding our actions than the immediate context of our behavior.”

That is a lot of fodder for thought.

Could this explain why, when we have knowledge of a truth, we act in a most inconsistent manner in relation to our understanding?

Could it be that the reason there is a lack of a planned savings program, for instance, is that we have more “pressing” places to put the funds? (I speak with significant experience here.)

Can this clarify why I didn’t carry through on many things I thought I desired (like being a thriving entrepreneur, getting my private pilot’s license or catching a world-class blue marlin, etc,. etc.)?

One could go off in a number of directions while pondering this idea. But I think Gladwell is really on to something.

Too often we are deterred from doing what we know to be right and good by the circumstances around us that seem to overpower our good intentions. If we want to change the substance of tomorrow we’ve got to somehow get past today’s stumbling blocks.

All I have left is the rest of my life. The past is gone. Only the present remains in which I can act to change my future. And I can think of a legion of things I’d yet like to accomplish.

Now if I can just get through all this stuff I’ve gotta do first…