Like I said in the first post in the quote series, I have been keeping a running list of interesting, thought-provoking, and funny quotes on my phone since 2012. While the first post was pretty deep and meaningful, I figured I’d share a more light-hearted quote this time around.

This one comes from the person that has always given her guidance, insights, and opinions whether I asked for them or not (even though I probably always needed them). My mother said this to me back in 2012 and was so memorable and funny at the time, I decided to start my quotes’ list with this one.

While my mom was specifically describing my upcoming Spring Break trip to an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, I am going to try to turn this humorous line into something else. Now that I am older, and hopefully wiser, I can view this quote differently.

Again, this touches on more than one piece of the Life Balance pie so I’ll go through a couple that I think it hits the most.

Friendships

Obviously, this started with my mom being worried I’d have too much fun with my friends on an unsupervised vacation. But in thinking about this quote now, I think it can mean more about finding the line and not crossing it.

I was always trying to be the “Yes!” man with my friends. This helped me to have a lot of fun but allowed me to be vulnerable to peer pressure and not thinking for myself. When I stopped thinking for myself, I’d usually go too far in what I was doing and get into a situation where I had lost control.

That is the proverbial “Stupid” location my mom is referring to. It’s the place that I go to only when I’ve crossed the line trying to have too much fun with my friends.

Now that I have a bit more experiences under my belt, I feel that I have a better handle on where the line is and how to not cross it. Everyone’s “line” is different and finding where yours is can be an important self-discovery.

Financial

Not crossing the line can also be an important lesson in the personal finance space. Being stupid, or going to that “stupid” location, can be when I get too caught up in spending money on excessive things.

When I was going on that all-inclusive resort trip, I knew there was a casino in the resort. I promised myself that I wouldn’t go in there once throughout the whole trip because my willpower would not have been able to keep me from making big mistakes with my money.

These were mental and physical (figurative) barriers I set up to help prevent myself from crossing the line.

I later learned how powerful that exercise was for me. I then applied it to simple everyday activities that allowed me to watch how much I spend. I only carry a limited amount of cash because, for me, cash leaves my wallet much faster than swiping a credit card.

Physical

Another example is when I try to eat healthy. The number one way I avoid eating sugary and unhealthy foods is by not buying them. Plain and simple.

When I go grocery shopping, I make sure not to walk down the candy aisle. I am a sucker for Reese’s cups. I have gotten better, but I used to not be able to have just 1. Usually, 1 turned into 5 in a single sitting.

How do I keep myself from eating too many? I don’t trust my willpower to be strong enough all the time. So, I just don’t buy them. I don’t have them in the house and that way I don’t go to the “stupid” place and eat an entire box of girl scout cookies for dinner. (I did this in college and instantly regretted it J)

Conclusion

The most important lesson I have learned throughout my life is to always listen to your mother (and your father of course). I didn’t always listen to her as well as I do now though.

I thought letting loose and having fun meant doing some stupid things. Not a lot but a little. That’s how you have experiences, right?

I now realize that you can still have great experiences while finding your line and not crossing it. Staying in control while still enjoying yourself. This is a balancing act that I try to live.

Question: How have you been able to discover your line and not cross it?