Wiki definition:
“Sloth (Latin, acedia) can entail different vices. While sloth is sometimes defined as physical laziness, spiritual laziness is emphasized. Failing to develop spiritually will lead to becoming guilty of sloth. In the Christian faith, sloth rejects grace and God. Unlike the others sins, which are sins of commission, sloth is a sin of omission.
Sloth has also been defined as a failure to do things that one should do. By this definition, evil exists when good people fail to act.”
I want to start with being a mental, physical, or spiritual couch potato. Don’t get me wrong. I love having lazy days. My problem is that I get very comfortable “resting on my laurels” very quick. I’d like to say quicker than most people, but that’s probably just my ego talking. Sometimes my ego loves me, and sometimes it’s my own personal Mr. Hyde.
My lazy day can in an instant become a lazy weekend, a lazy week, month, and life. And, I will sort of get blindsided by the sudden shift in momentum. I’ll start to feel anxious, tired, manic, and out of sorts all of the time. It’s a quick shift too, and it feels pretty paralyzing.
Knowing that I have the tendency makes it a little easier to combat. I used to wrack my brain on these days clueless as to why I felt completely sapped of a will to do anything. Now I know, if I so choose, I can get out of these funks with contrary action. I’ve talked some before about how I can indulge in sick days.
This can go like far and beyond just indulgence though. There are times where I feel like I relish in the sickness, the bad feelings, the lack of motivation. It’s as if somewhere deep inside, me or someone else convinced myself that I was destined to fail. For a long time, I didn’t realize that was a choice that I could make for myself and not a fate I was consigned to. And, more than that…I had to consistently make that choice to not fail and then take action on it.
That brings me to the second part of this rule…growing tired of being tired. Life REQUIRES action. Whether you take action, or someone takes action for you is a decision you make. And, just making the decision to not take action is an action in itself.
Now, what actions you take determine whether your life is good or bad. You can be highly productive, and still have a shit life. If you’re not doing the things you know you ought to be doing, then you will understandably suffer. Either from the consequences you will face, the mental anguish you will experience, or the lack of awareness you will foster trying to not face your inability to do the next right thing.