Temptation

Every day we experience things that tempt us. That extra piece of pizza, a slice of cake or a cookie, that boy from you past who mysteriously hits you up again. Every day we have to work to fight these temptations. It is in our human nature to give in to things that tempt us. It’s familiar and comfortable. That familiarity and comfort are what makes it so easy to give in.

Every once in a while we give into such temptations, and that's okay. Sometimes you can't help but be weak to whatever it was that tempted you. Like I said it is in our human nature. These temptations can put you off balance, though. Temptations are not something you typically expect and this can cause your mind to go crazy. In the moment of temptation, one cannot easily think about the consequences that will result from you're about to potentially give in to. The crazy thing is that temptation somewhat blinds you. It only allows you to see and experience what is happening at the moment, but not what will result afterward. This is dangerous because in the moment your brain says one thing, but your heart says another and it is not easy to decide which one to listen to. You also may not realize how you're going to feel after it happens. Eating four cookies at the time might sound really good, but in a half an hour your stomach will most definitely not appreciate all the sugar that your mouth did.

Food is the perfect example of temptation, especially being in college. Whether you're in your dining hall or off campus, unhealthy food surrounds you. There's pizza everywhere you look, Chinese, food, ice cream, other desserts, and other unhealthy options. This plays to a college students temptations because when under stress, which we often are, who doesn't want that twelve pack of insomnia cookies all to themselves. This is what leads to that scary freshman 15, which is sometimes hard to avoid. It is important to take a step back and look at the decisions you're making before you make them.

Boys are another great example. Who doesn't find it hard to give into a boy, especially when they are saying and doing all the right things? The thing is, in the moment it may seem amazing that they're all of a sudden interested. Days pass through and you realize it wasn't what you thought it was and that awesome feeling you had in the moment completely disappears.

I'm not saying it is never okay to give into these temptations. After all, we're human and it is expected that we will and sometimes it won't have the best outcome. It is all part of a learning experience that makes you who you are at the end of the day, though. As Mary Alice Young said, "Temptation comes to all of us. whether or not we succumb depends on our ability to recognize its disguise...And so we give in to temptation, all the while knowing come morning, we'll have to suffer the consequences."