Just the other day, I sat down for breakfast at a little restaurant on Loi Kroh Road, Crema Café in Chiang Mai. While I had spent the last 2 months in Phuket, my breakfast was primarily chicken and iced coffee. My go to spot was a hole in the wall that served chicken in different curries and soups. Arriving in Chiang Mai, and living in a more touristy section of downtown, I have more food choices. I can eat a hamburger, a burrito, a mango smoothie, and a wide swath of Thai delicacies (including stewed pork leg). On this day, I ordered a cheese omelet, which came with a piece of toast. There, next to the toast was a small package of butter, the kind that you might see at Denny’s.

Shock and distress coursed through my veins. Butter. It had been 2 months not only since I ate butter, but also since I had even seen butter. You must understand, I am the guy who frequently states with great glee, “Butter makes everything better!” My children have looked at me with disgust when I put butter on the crust of my pizza. Egads. While in England, I discovered a butter called Lurpak. The local bakery made bread on Monday. I would go to the store in the morning, buy the bread (often still warm), cut a nice slice, toast it, and then slather on the Lurpak. I can say with absolute certainty that there was no happier nor content human being on the planet save for me at the moment the toasted Lurpak coated bread hit my palate.

So how did I break the habit? How is it that I did not eat butter for 2 months? I moved to Thailand. How is it that I no longer sit in front of a television and waste hours of my life surfing from channel to channel? I moved to Thailand. While I don’t’ expect many people to move to Thailand for the winter, there are two valuable lessons we can glean from this experience. First, take on a big project so that you don’t’ have the time nor inclination to eat crap and watch tv. Second, remove the vices out of sight. Get then out of the house. If you don’t see a TV or butter, you are less likely to use them. If you want to quit smoking, the first thing you do is get rid of the cigarettes, and clean out all ashtrays and anything else that may remind you of smoking. I quit smoking over four years ago.

I saw a post on Facebook. “Mother Theresa didn’t walk around complaining about her thighs. She had shit to do.” If I am focusing on my work and my health, I don’t have time to vegetate in front of the TV. What can you commit to that will propel you to a place where TV doesn’t make sense? Are there any foods in your home that you know aren’t healthy, that you can throw out or give to someone? The answer to these questions may be No. You may love your TV time and relish the idea of gorging on pizza and butter. I have been there too, and I had a pretty good time… for a while. Eventually, my spirit had enough, and demanded something deeper from me, something that require my full presence. Butter and TV make me sleepy. For me, it was time to wake up.

About the Author

Jay Cradeur Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.