I saw this phrase in an article I was reading last week (sorry, I can’t remember the author) while preparing for last week’s blog on acceptance.  I thought it was kind of funny, if not a little corny, but even more funny was how it stayed with me during the week.  Every time I said the word “buts”, the phrase rang out, “Get off of your but.”  It helped me stop, take a second look at my thinking, and over the week, see how often I let myself off the hook so easily for acting positively on something I say is important to me.

Some of the things were little, like “I want to work out, but I don’t have time,” or “I want to eat healthy, but we don’t have anything good at home.”  Others were bigger, such as “I would love to go to Greece someday, but we could never afford it,” or “I wish I could be more like my colleague, but I’m just not as good a leader as she is.”  Every time I said the word “but,” it made me step out of my words and think – is this “but” an excuse or is this “but” my real choice?  Does it have to be all or nothing, can I do a little bit of exercise, or make some small step toward the desire?

Life is overwhelming and has a lot of limitations.  Money, food, time, energy are all finite resources.  How we choose to use them is really important and over time, ends up building to the significance of who we are and how we live our lives.  Each and every day we make so many decisions that it’s easy not to notice them.  One little decision does not seem to matter, but the decisions we make add up, and lead us to where we are.  I learned this week how easily I can get in the habit of derailing my valued actions by saying, “yes, but.”

So, I need to stop making excuses.  If I choose not to use my precious free time to work out, or if I choose to eat something not healthy, I need to own the decision.  And if I don’t have the money to go to Greece, I have to really ask myself how important that is to me.  If I really want to go to Greece, I can start saving and look for more the most affordable opportunities, perhaps forming a plan for the future.  “Buts” can come from many sources.  One type comes from pure laziness, BUT, others come from deeper places, like fear,  insecurity, sadness, helplessness, lack of control, or skill.  But, I am a victim if I let my world be ruled by my “buts,” which is why I liked this kitchy phrase.  It helped me step back and assess the truth of my assumptions and realize the comfortable pull of staying on our buts.