Compelling Impulses

I was looking at a book I have. I can't remember the title. But it's something like "2,143 Meditations, Koans, and Whatever," a book that has little snippets of meditations. It's a cool book, one you dip in at random and it gives you something to think about.

I saw several things just looking at it for a minute.

One of them was this pointer, though not in exactly these words: "Wait until you have a compelling impulse two times before acting on it."

That would be good to do, because I get a lot of compelling impulses. When I'm looking at candy bars, for example, sometimes I have pretty good restraint. Then other days, like today, I went to the store specifically to get candy. Sometimes I'm definitely compelled. And frankly, had I waited for a second compulsion today it would've come.

I have a lot of my compelling impulses of the past surrounding me. I'm always trying to find shelf space for them. Many of them I waited for a second impulse. Many of them I didn't.

It's good advice. Maybe wait 10 times as a matter of policy. Because for me it's easy to secure that second one.