Fix It, Don’t Mask It

My take on “band-aid culture”

Photo by Marcel Straub, Unsplash

A saying as old as time; “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Absolute truth. Could not agree more. But, what if something is broken? Why has it become so painfully common that we as people will mask something broken, rather than taking the steps necessary to fix it, or rebuilding it entirely? Why have we taken on the form of a landlord painting over the many blemishes throughout their properties?

This phenomenon is something that intrigues me, and something that I’ve come to refer to as “band-aid culture.” There’s a lot to unpack, but, for now I will keep it short and sweet.

What is “band-aid culture,” and how do we avoid it?

Let’s talk about it.

Seek Permanence

To continue on with the landlord analogy – what does the stereotypical landlord do in the case of mold growing on the ceiling? They paint over it, right? And why?

Because it’s easier. Tearing out the section(s) and rebuilding entirely? That’s just too much work.

Tie this example into your own life – What is your knee jerk reaction when you come to the realization that you’ve put on too much weight? Or that you’ve developed a drinking problem? Is your immediate thought to gloss over it, make less of it through your words and actions – even pretend it’s not real?

I can say, with absolute certainty, that I’ve been held prisoner to this frame of mind.

Quick story:

When I made the decision to walk away from the sport of wrestling, which I’ve written about ad nauseam in previous posts, I struggled for an extensive amount of time with the changes present in my life, and how I was to navigate them.

My gut reaction was to simply ignore everything. Ignore the feelings, ignore the unhealthy habits beginning to form, ignore it all. More simply put – I chose to paint over all of the blemishes in my life at the time.

After nearly two years of this, I found my way out, to a mindset, which (albeit still evolving and sharpening daily) has me sailing in the correct direction. This, thankfully, occurred before it was too late – but what if it hadn’t?

Preventative Maintenance

Unfortunately, contrary to popular belief, there is such a thing as “too late” in some instances. In the case of drinking in excess – the liver can cross a threshold which can’t be recovered. Extreme weight gain can cause a multitude of metabolic health complications that will (eventually) become unresolvable and life-threatening. The same can be said about your mental health.

Long story short – don’t let yourself reach the “too-late” marker. Don’t even come close!

Here’s how I like to look at things:

I imagine that my body is like a vehicle, requiring constant maintenance to continue operating properly.

Think about it; What is the outcome of putting off that oil change that your car so desperately needs? Running your tires a few thousand miles past their expiration mileage? The long term effects of using less-than-optimal fuel?

Sure, outcomes will vary – but, we can all agree that none of them are ideal.

Instead of the procrastinative nature that we’ve all become so accustomed to – treating everything as a “later problem” – take the steps necessary to avoid said tumultuous outcomes. Change your oil on time, get new tires when necessary, and use the fuel best suited for your vehicle.

Now, how does this translate? It’s honestly quite simple.

Exercise, get adequate sleep, don’t eat complete trash, and perhaps most importantly – monitor your well-being, listen to your body. When your car is screaming (literally) for help, you get it into the shop, right? Your body should be treated no differently.

You only get one body, one opportunity to journey through this life. Make the most of what you were provided, by utilizing preventative maintenance in your day-to-day life, by getting ahead of the curve, and by avoiding the “too-late” mark entirely.

Instead of a “quick-fix” or, for the sake of the coined phrase, a “band-aid,” do things the right way. Make the fix when necessary, and avoid the need to when possible.

If i’ve learned one thing worth sharing in reference to this subject in its entirety, it’s this:

The hard way is the easy way.

Let that sink in.

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Forged in Fire