What is your vice?

So what is your vice in life?

Mine is TV! I could find something to watch every hour of the day! Even when I did not have cable. Why is that? Is it because of the lack of involvement it takes to be entertained nonstop or what? It is like an obsession with me! I craved the next show and those networks know exactly how to keep you hanging wanting more.

What disasters I created by being a couch potato! Huge pile of laundry, clean dishes in the dishwasher needing to be put up and then reloaded with the sink full of dirty dishes awaiting their turn, kids addicted to their video games as to not distract me while I am watching TV. My husband spending lots of time in the garage or him joining the potato fest I had created. Not to mention the extra pounds that had taken up residence in my midsection! Talk about always feeling overwhelmed by all the tasks that lay before me because of this!

So coming from a background of addictive behaviors I knew I had to get drastic! So I got rid of cable! Antennas don't work anymore and I never got a digital converter so I don't have that either. What I do have is my DVD library and Netflix and that is it! All of a sudden I have time I never knew existed! My laundry pile is not near as massive. (Which I would rather clean toilets than do laundry and I truly believe is a punishment from God because of the fall of Adam and Eve! We could be nudists with no laundry to do if weren't for them!) Anyway, I garden, take photographs of nature, ride bikes with my kids, sit underneath the umbrella in my backyard and talk to my husband for hours about all kinds of things. All this because I don't have this vice anymore that seemed to beg for my attention. Oh did I mention the $100 dollars I am saving a month?

I of course HATED it at first but, then got busy doing all the things I needed to catch up on. I watched a ton of movies at first to fill my TV void but, on it's own the watching of movies has faded tremendously. For the past three weeks I still haven't watched all three of my Netflix movies! I sit in awe of not having the need to watch TV anymore! I also sit in awe of the fact that I start feeling majorly convicted about not having spent enough time playing with my kids at the end of each day! So now, instead of them trying to get my attention in a negative way, because I wasn't giving them the time of day, they now get my attention by the increase in hugs they give and the "Your the best mom ever!" compliment so often! Man if I knew I was going to get that verbal award I would have stopped watching a lot sooner!

I have stopped being so lazy about disciplining my children. I don't yell at them anymore and give a thousand warnings and then fly off the handle in anger! I tell them once and lay down the ground rules and if they choose not to do them then they know that mommy sticks to her word now and that they will be grounded. Things are just way more harmonious and less negative. Let's face it media is not all that optimistic these days. So I pick and choose what news I want in on by reading the paper or internet.

My awareness of how selfish I am is evident! Do I want my kids to treat their children and spouses one day the way I have treated them and their father?!? The answer is clearly NO! So it is my responsibility to sacrifice accordingly and with joy! Not like some person who is upset and irritable due to detoxing! So that way my family knows I am joyous about loving them the way I am supposed to instead of filling my selfish desire.

So... giving up the things we think we cannot live without is challenging but, the benefits are great! And there are more benefits that occur that you never knew would!

So post what your vice is and tell me what you would like to do about it or have done and how it has or will affect your life! I like hearing how you are only human too!