I rode the elevator with a neighbor the other morning who was bemoaning the fact that she had received a $170.00 ticket for texting while driving.

She felt it was unfair – it was just a quick (and very important) message – and, “Anyway, don’t the cops have anything better to do with their time? Shouldn’t they be out there catching criminals instead of harassing innocent people? It’s a stupid law. It’s not fair”

Thankfully it was only a short elevator ride and when the door opened on my floor, I happily exited leaving another neighbor alone with this lady to be further subjected to her rant.

I too received a ticket last week. Mine arrived in the mail, along with a glossy photograph informing me that I had been speeding and would I please remit $103.00 as punishment for my behavior.

Like my neighbor, I was angry. The difference was that my anger was directed entirely at myself. I know better and I should have done better. It was certainly not the camera’s fault for capturing me exceeding the speed limit.

This was entirely of my doing. I worked hard for this ticket and I deserved it.

And my reaction was to do the only thing that made sense to me – I went online and paid it.

The next day I met a long-time client – let’s call him Dave – for coffee. During the course of our conversation Dave asked if I would forward his son’s resume to some of my clients as his son was in an untenable situation in his present job.

Naturally, I inquired as to what was going on and Dave told that he was disgusted at the way his son had been treated by his present employer.

His son had been suspended for two days following repeated warnings for consistently showing up late for work.

They felt this was unfair, immoral and demonstrated that his sons bosses don’t “give a damn” about their employees.

His son was just the innocent victim of a cruel and unprofessional boss.

Really???

Dave, his son and my elevator companion have clearly failed to grasp one of life’s most important lessons: when you choose the behavior, you choose the consequence. Period.

This lesson is taught to us in every single action, every single day of our lives. There is no such thing as a behavior without a consequence and when we are either unwilling or incapable of accepting the consequence and instead, choose to describe the consequence with words like “unfair, biased or wrong” we are demonstrating a woeful lack of understanding of how the universe works.

When you choose the behavior, you choose the consequence. When you eat chocolate cake you gain weight, when you stay away from the gym, you don’t get in shape, when you drop out of school you don’t get an education – it’s really quite simple.

When you text while driving you get a ticket and when you ignore repeated warnings and consistently show up late for work you get suspended.

You chose the behavior and consequently, you chose the consequence.

And if you think otherwise – you think it’s unfair, or wrong, or unprofessional – then you just don’t get it.

Life is simple. If you want something then simply make what you want a consequence of what you need to do – and then do it.

And if you don’t want something, they don’t do the things that will cause that something to happen.

When you choose to fight this system, you choose to make yourself the victim. And the consequences of victimhood are always harsh and severe.

When you choose the behavior, you choose the consequence.

There is no other way.

Till we read again.

P.S.My book Life Sinks or Soars – the Choice is Yours now has its very own website. Please visit us at  www.lifesinksorsoars.com  and let me know what you think.

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