If It Ain't Broke...

My wife used to take a supplement from a network marketing company that improved her digestion. This supplement supposedly helped you absorb nutrients more efficiently. Having Crohn's disease, there are certain foods that she can't eat, particularly high-fiber foods like fruits and veggies. But after taking this supplement, she was able to eat fruits and veggies again! After reading and researching the ingredients of this supplement, I was impressed by it!

But then...well...the company decided to change the supplement's formula, trying to make it "better." Well, they took out the ingredients that made a difference with my wife and turned the supplement into more of an antioxidant supplement instead of an absorption supplement. She felt the difference! The supplement that changed her life no longer did the trick. 

You've probably been in a situation where you've said to yourself, "Things were so much better when..." Maybe you're talking about your job, your relationship, your city, your country, your church, a particular product, you name it. Things were better in the past because they were good just as they were. But the need to "fix what ain't broke" made a good thing into a worse thing.

Some time ago, a dentist told my wife and I that my kids needed braces, and that my daughter needed a palatable expander, which makes your mouth wider. My stance is that if her teeth are working and she's not having any issues with talking or chewing, then don't fix what's not broken. Otherwise, my kids could be those occasional patients whose teeth got jacked up because of orthodontic work. 

I think about Michael Jackson and all the plastic surgery he went through. He was a very handsome guy when he was a part of the Jackson 5. But with all the surgery, he looked like a cartoon! He tried to fix what wasn't broken.

I think about children who get prematurely diagnosed with some condition when they were really being normal. 

I think about people who go to the doctor and get prescribed medication as a "precaution" when there was really no need for the medication.

I think about all the lives that were ruined because they were victims of fixing what wasn't broken.

If you already have a good thing going, there is no need to change it. There is no need to make it better, faster, stronger, or prettier. For the most part, the best thing you need to do is to maintain what you've got going on.

So many times, we get caught up in making improvements. While I'm all for making improvements, I also don't believe in fixing something that never had problems. Yes, if there is an issue, fix it. But if the issue really isn't an issue, then there is no need to do anything more than just maintain it.

One thing I've learned from working on my cars or fixing stuff around the house is that you should never replace anything until it breaks. The newer stuff may not be as good as the original stuff! Back in the day, stuff was made to last forever. If it still worked, you better keep it working for as long as possible, because products are being built faster and cheaper these days -- which means that they break quicker.

You may be thinking that you need some fixing up, but you probably don't. Sometimes, you just need a polishing! Think about original, hardwood floors. If they get some scratches in them, would you replace the entire floor? You better not! No, instead you would polish the floors, because there is nothing wrong with them. Just like you wouldn't throw away a dirty car, or burn down a house that needs power-washing, or give your kids up for adoption because they stink, you don't need to go through a complete renovation because of a few scratches. 

When I think about my fitness classes, I could get caught up in how many improvements I need to make. But then I have to look at who attends my classes, and most of my attendants are regulars. Apparently, I don't need to fix anything if people, especially my regulars, keep coming back. But what would happen if one or two people gave me their opinions and I took those opinions to heart and start making all sorts of changes to my classes? Either I'll lose all my regulars and attract people that I DON'T want in my classes, or I would just lose my classes completely. Those few who have a problem with how I teach my classes won't ever be pleased unless I do things their way, and I can't operate like that. So, while there could always be something different I could do, the most important thing that I can do is to maintain whatever good that I have going on and just occasionally polish up the floors.
​

• Wouldn't it be wonderful if the job that's going down the drain maintained the good that it once had?
• Wouldn't it be good if the gym that's messing everybody over maintained the good that it once had?
• Wouldn't it be good if your city that's becoming more and more expensive maintained the good that it once had?
• Wouldn't it be good if YOU maintained the good that you once had instead of always going through "facelifts?"

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If there is no problem, don't create a problem. If nobody is complaining, don't give them a reason to complain. If your kids love to read, then maintain that love. Don't start introducing new techniques that would make them hate reading. If it works, keep doing it until it doesn't work anymore. Make changes only if it's absolutely needed, not because you just want to do something new. Otherwise, somewhere in the future you're going to look back in the past and say, "Man, I wish things were like they used to be."