There are 6,309 people in the United Stated named Prudence. Prudence is the 2397th most popular name in the United States. 99.9% of people with the first name Prudence are female.
Please do not try to find one of the 6,309 people in the United States named Prudence to win the prize. If you did, you could be charged with kidnapping, and there would be no prize.
I am talking about the prudence that Solomon, son of King David, talks about in the book of Proverbs in the Bible.
I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
I possess knowledge and discretion.
Proverbs 8:12
Whoever strays from the path of prudence
comes to rest in the company of the dead.
Proverbs 21:16
Prudence is the ability to govern and disciple oneself by the use of reason.
When you were a child your parents told you when to go to bed. They made sure you ate a healthy diet, and disciplined you when you hit your brother or sister, or when you lied.
Now you are an adult. You buy your own groceries and prepare your own meals. You live on your own, and pay rent, or a mortgage. You decide when you go to bed, and you hopefully stopped hitting your brother. If you lie, only you and God know.
You have stepped away from having someone else govern and discipline you.
It is time to learn how to govern and discipline yourself.
You need Prudence.
“I have trouble going to bed when I should. I stay up late watching movies.”
“I don’t want to eat cake anymore, but I struggle with my food choices.”
“I can’t find my hammer because I never put it away after I use it.”
Does this sound like you?
Do you want to be different?
You can.
You think you need someone to tell you what to do. You are looking for change to come from someone else, from outside yourself. You keep buying self-help books; you have hired a life coach, or you have an accountability partner.
All of the ways and methods you are trying are a step in the right direction. Books can give you wisdom, and coaches and accountability partners can help you learn and change. I have several accountability partners, and friends who pray for me not to eat bananas.
True change only comes from within.
My accountability partner or life coach isn’t with me every time I walk past the fruit bowl. They are not there when I pick up the banana and start to peel it.
I must have self-control. I have to be prudent.
I have to tell myself what to do, and I have to listen to what I say.
“Hey Hodges, put that banana down. Hey, you peeled it. Now you took a bite. Spit it out! Spit it out!” I finally listened to myself and spit out the piece of banana. I haven’t eaten a banana since I wrote about my addiction.
I want to win the prize. I want to have prudence. I want to be prudent.
“I went to bed when I said I would.”
“I didn’t have a piece of chocolate cake at the birthday party last night.”
“I put my hammer away when I used it, and now I know where it is.”
P.S. You win the prize with self-discipline. Don’t wait for someone to give you a trophy. ( You can tweet that here if you would like to.) You win the trophy on your own, by self-control. Go ahead, put a trophy on your mantel. I did. Now I need to get a trophy of a banana.
Do you listen to yourself? Do you have prudence?
Please tell me in the comments. I would love to chat.
P.S.
Check out the rest of the Slices at Two Writing Teachers.
