Rule #3: [Lesson] Of The Flies

Earlier this morning I was doing dishes and staring out the window into my neighbor's yard. I'm helping him clear out the jungle it has become and I was admiring our handy work when all of the sudden, some stupid fly crashes directly into the window. Then again. Again. Again. Happening in quicker succession then you can read it, probably. Anyways, you know how that goes. The fly keeps on banging into the window, perhaps relying on that infinitesimal chance that the molecules will align themselves in such a way that he will be able to go right on through. So, the question is:

Stupid insect or genius creature?

My answer is neither. He's certainly not stupid but I wouldn't say he's a genius either. Instead, I would say that he's been given a gift. Call me an idealist, but I would argue, for the sake of the human spirit and a little encouragement, that the fly is not being stupid but persistent. He knows that the odds are against him, he knows what happened last time he tried to get out of a closed window, but he keeps on doing it with the mindset that one day he will indeed make it outdoors and back to his family. If he even has a family. Who knows how a fly's social system is arranged...

A stretch? Perhaps. Maybe the fly really doesn't have any trace of a short-term memory and is just mindlessly throwing himself at the window because he doesn't know any better. Let me remind you, however, that perception is everything and we have no idea what the fly is actually thinking. I implore you to go along with this because I think we can learn something from this fly. Especially in the case of not smoking, no matter how daunting it seems or how awful it feels to curb that craving, you must have faith that one day it's going to be better. Science tells us that after two weeks the cravings will begin to ease up significantly and it won't be so awful. Not only will it not be so bad, but it will be better, too. Your health is constantly improving by you doing nothing about the craving. That's right, by you NOT doing anything, you're improving your quality of life. How awesome is that? Exactly.

So, be strong, friends. Be persistent. Be a fly. Like the fly hitting the window repeatedly, resisting cigarettes may hurt your head and may seem stupid, but soon you will make it outdoors and back to a better life. Trust me.