I really didn’t feel like writing a blog this week.

I decided not to.

After all, for the past 119 weeks I have unfailingly posted a new blog, without missing a single week.

I mean, it’s just a blog.

Only three people read it.

It’s not like it’s life changing information.

And after all, who would care?

This all started a few days ago when a slight cough that had persisted for a few days decided to convert itself into full-blown ‘flu.

It’s been at least fifteen years since I last had a bout of ‘flu and had come to believe that I had developed some form of immunity.

In fact, I have joked with those around me that “real” men don’t get the ‘flu.

So, needless to say, this caught me completely by surprise.

And I had forgotten all the affects of having the ‘flu.

It’s bloody awful.

You have no energy.

Everything hurts.

You just want to sleep.

And sleep.

And blow your nose.

And take more pills.

And cough.

And Buckley’s should only be given to prisoners or to terrorists during interrogations.

And so you can see why writing a blog this week didn’t seem like a high priority.

And thus I decided not to.

And, as I asked above, who would care?

And I immediately realized the answer.

I would.

Not because my few readers would mind.

Not because their lives would fall apart without the wisdom of my blogs to keep them going.

Not because they patiently await the arrival of my blogs each Saturday afternoon and would experience unprecedented levels of despair.

No! I realized I would care because I made a commitment to myself when I started these blogs.

A small promise that I would post a new blog every single Saturday.

Not just when I felt like it.

Not just when I was inspired to write.

Not just if the mood struck me.

Every single Saturday.

No exceptions.

We have spent much time on these pages discussing how we only ever do one thing – we do what is important to us in the moment.

And we have talked about how we determine what’s important to us by how much pleasure it gives us or by how much pain it helps us avoid.

And we have discussed how we often make choices to do something painful because the pain of doing it is less painful than the pain of not doing it.

And so many times in my life I have made decisions not to do something that would cause me pain only to experience a far greater pain for having not done it.

And that far greater pain has always lasted longer than the pain of doing it would have.

It’s called the pain of regret and I have experienced it often.

And I don’t like it.

And I have written 119 blogs without missing a single week.

And I really didn’t feel like getting up to write one today.

And I almost didn’t until I realized how disappointed in myself I would be on Sunday when I would have broken a chain that began with my first blog way back in August 2009.

And I reminded myself that the disappointment in myself and the regret would hurt much deeper, and last much longer than the pain of forcing myself to write a blog today and keep that promise to myself.

And I also reminded myself of another promise I made to myself a long time ago. I promised to never again break a promise to myself.

And so I got up.

And booted up the laptop.

And wrote a blog.

How did I do?

Till we read again,

P.S. Ten days ago I passed the milestone of selling 5,000 copies of my book Life Sinks or Soars – the Choice is Yours.

If you would like to purchase your very own copy please click here and my friends at Self Connection will gladly ship one (or as many as you want) out to you right away.

You can also order directly from me by emailing me at rael@raelkalley.com