The Band-Aid Principle

The other day my bride and I could not locate our middle child.  We called out, but there was no reply.  After searching many parts of the house, I found my daughter in the bathroom soaking her Band-Aid with a sponge trying to make it easier to remove.  She was so fixated on the forthcoming pain, she chose not to respond to us.  So much so, when I offered to rip it off fast, she recoiled and squealed “but it will hurt!”  She was not wrong.  I confirmed in might be a brief sting, but the pain – mentally and physically - won’t be as agonizingly long and hard as with the slow peel she was planning to execute. Though not convinced with a moment of distraction, a moment later I ripped it off!  Grimacing through her teeth, she eventually grinned in satisfaction.

Questions to Ponder

You have just read what I affectionately refer to as “The Band-Aid Principal”.  Around my house, it is executed in practical form – JUST RIP IT OFF!!!

There are many instances in our life, where we focus so much on the short-term discomfort we are about to experience or are experiencing.  By fixating on the discomfort or pain, we become paralyzed by doing nothing, or we permit more painful things to continue.  Little do we know that there is something much better on the other side of that discomfort and pain.

• What areas of your life do you need to “rip off”the self-imposed Band-Aid that “keeps” you “safe”?

• What are the next steps you must take to push beyond the agonizing fear of what is next?

• Who will keep you accountable with your next steps?

To helping you rip off the Band-Aid!