BY

What a word. It has so many definitions. There are so many ways in which it can be used.  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, definitions for the word “by” include things such as:

• in the direction of: toward<north by east>
• into the vicinity of and beyond: past<went right by him>
• during the course of<studied by night>
• according to<called her by name>
• on behalf of<did right by his children>
• in the opinion of:from the point of view of <okay by me>

As I continued thinking about the definition of this word, one other definition in the Meriam-Webster dictionary that kept coming to mind was:

• used to express farewell

In this format, the word “by” is used as an interjection. As defined by Meriam-Webster, an interjection is a “spoken word, phrase, or sound that expresses sudden or strong feeling.” Of course another spelling of this word, which also means to express farewell, is “bye”. Regardless of the spelling, the definition is generally interpreted as expressing farewell to a friend or family member who has passed on or someone who is leaving that you may never see again. To me, as I contemplated this meaning of the word, I began to think of it a little differently.

During the course of our lives, we all have hopes and dreams. We all have things we desire to accomplish or obtain. For some, from a young age the opinions and points of view of their parents, teachers, friends, and others set them off in the right direction toward achieving their hopes, dreams, and wishes. They were taught from the beginning what they needed to do and why it can only be achieved through hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. They excepted the counsel they were given, made the right choices, and have either reached their goals or are on the path to doing so.

For others, they are struggling to achieve their hopes, dreams, and desires; their life may be in a state of frustration and despair. In some cases, they are in this state because they did not receive the necessary knowledge, education and guidance. In addition, they have also not personally taken the responsibility to get it. For others, they know what they need to do, but have chosen not to do it and as a result have developed bad habits that are holding them back. Examples of bad habits may include things such as laziness, lack of organization, selfishness, or feelings of entitlement. Other bad habits may include addictive behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, gambling, pornography or some other bad habit.

In order to improve their life, to achieve their desired hopes, dreams and wishes, they need to say “by” to the things that are holding them back. If they want to reach their goal in life they need to kick the bad habits. They need to interject and express a sudden or strong feeling of tiredness of their situation.

In some cases, saying “by” to one’s bad habits may not be that difficult. For others, especially when it comes to addictive behaviors, it will not be easy, it may take some time. When it comes to eliminating the bad habits that are holding you back, the good thing is there are a lot of resources available to help. Examples of available resources include addiction recovery programs, counselors, couches, religious leaders, and social service programs. In addition, there may be family and friends willing to encourage and support you.

If you are one of those individuals who are struggling, whose bad habits are keeping you from living the life you want and need, begin now to make the change. Take that first step toward your goal by deciding now to KICK THE BAD HABITS! TO SAY “BY”!