Pay Up!

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  “Everything we do has a toll attached to it. Waiting around is a tax on traveling. Rumors and gossip are the taxes that come from acquiring a public persona. Disagreements and occasional frustration are taxes placed on even the happiest of relationships. Theft is a tax on abundance and having things that other people want. Stress and problems are tariffs that come attached to success. And on and on and on. There are many forms of taxes in life. You can argue with them, you can go to great—but ultimately futile—lengths to evade them, or you can simply pay them and enjoy the fruits of what you get to keep.” (Ryan Holiday)

Moral Philosophy: Abstinence

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Withhold.
Impose forbearance.
Refrain.
You don't have to.

Want to test your will-power? Deny yourself something meaningful.
Ceasing the small stuff is easy. Holding off something precious can be painful.

Abstinence does not mean to quit, as in changing habits, but abstinence might lead to it. Abstinence can be a useful tool.

It can be a way to prepare for hardship, in parting with something comfortable for a while.

Try missing a meal. Or two meals. Or a whole day's worth of meals.
Try taking a cold shower, or going out in the cold without a coat.
Other people do it. Daily.

So now you have to ask yourself: what do those people have that I do not?
This is what abstinence will reveal.

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