Don't Quit Before the Miracle Happens

I think that this quote is an old AA saying, along with "Time Takes Time" and "Let Go, Let God." There must be a million sayings that are intended to motivate people to hang in there and not give up. Why is it that people need this type of encouragement so often?

It seems to be a law of nature to take the easy way out. Tree roots typically grow around sidewalks, not through them. Animals on the hunt seek out the weakest prey. Even the king of the jungle would prefer to chase down an old gazelle. Human beings are more complicated than plants or animals, yet we are also drawn to follow the path of least resistance. Unfortunately, the road to success or fulfillment usually requires dedication, sacrifice, and hard work.

I suppose that for some people, being able to stay sober truly is a miracle. Once a person learns to enjoy a bad habit, it takes a significant amount of dedication, sacrifice, and hard work to break that habit - even if it is ruining their life and/or the lives of the people around them.

Good habits are easier to break because they can require significant effort to maintain. Study for a test or go out with friends? Go to school at night or stay in a dead-end career? Exercise for 30 minutes or watch TV? Get the side order of fries, or substitute broccoli instead? People who continually choose the easier path rarely transcend their circumstances, and they experience fewer miracles as a result.

Whether we acknowledge it or not, miracles occur all around us. Many of these miracles required little effort on our part; and as a result, we take them for granted. The miracles that we create; the ones that we make possible, those are the ones that we enjoy and appreciate the most...