OMG, Make It Stop!
It’s everywhere! YOLO, Treat Yo’ Self, and other expressions like it permeate our culture. I see it on social media and hear it just about every day, and it drives me nuts! Maybe I am just becoming the “get off of my lawn” old guy next door, but I can not take it anymore. My issue with it isn’t that it is a trendy thing to say on a Tik Tok video, but rather that the mindset behind it will lead people to a fat and broke life.
Jerzy Gregorek, a former alcoholic turned weight lifting champion, once said, “Easy Choices, Hard Life. Hard Choices, Easy Life.”. When I hear people say YOLO, this is what I think of. What I hear is people trying to justify a life of easy choices. I agree that we only live one life, and we should want that life to be fulfilling, but I disagree that easy choices are the means to a fulfilled life.
What People Want YOLO To Mean
I hear YOLO the most when people make bad choices that they know are bad but want to justify it to remove guilt and accountability. It is often used when making a purchase that they can’t really afford or eating something they know they shouldn’t. By saying YOLO, it makes it OK. At least that is what they want it to do. People want YOLO to mean that it’s OK to eat badly, spend too much, and not be accountable. A life of being unhealthy and in debt doesn’t sound fun to me.
What YOLO Actually Means
YOLO actually means that you are not taking control of your life. Somehow, this one life of yours dictates your decisions and that you are along for the ride. YOLO means that you are destined to be fat and broke, but it is not your fault, so no big deal. It means that you don’t have the willpower and/or discipline to make good choices. YOLO means that you are too lazy to put thought into a choice, so the universe will decide instead. Ultimately it means that your one life will be full of excuses and regret.
What YOLO Should Mean
YOLO should mean that we have one life, so make it great. Be mindful and intentional because every choice we make has ramifications that affect the quality of our life. Our one life should be healthy and comfortable, one free of disease and constant stress about money. YOLO should mean the opposite of how it is most often used. We only live once, so make choices every day that fulfill you.
Do Something Hard Today
YOLO is right in so many ways, but the way it is used is so wrong. We have just one life. True. That life is better when we make hard choices and do hard things. Easy choices like being unhealthy and going into debt (Fat & Broke) lead to a hard life. Hard choices such as being disciplined with food and money will be hard in the moment but will result in an easier and healthier life.
YOLO…so make a hard choice today!
The post YOLO! It’s No Excuse To Be Fat & Broke. appeared first on The Fat & Broke Podcast.
