Two Ways to Be

In life it is sometimes said that there are two ways to be happy:  one is to have more, the other is to want less.

We often find ourselves trying to choose between two ways to be:

- stay here, or go there

- keep this, or give that

- earn more, or spend less

- accept more, or reject less

- try harder, or relax more

One of the truer things I have heard over the years, is that life is a series of trade-offs. 

We may trade adventure for security; or security for adventure.

We may trade time for money (essentially this is what we do when we work); or we may trade money for time (such as paying someone else to clean our house or mow our lawn) because at that point in our lives our time is more precious to us than money.

We must each make a series of choices each day.  How we choose to spend our time and resources ultimately determines the quality of our lives. 

Are we making wise trade-offs, or simply convenient ones?

Are we making conscious choices, or simply automatic ones?

How are we dealing with the unintended consequences of our own choices?

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I don't know about you, but right now life is hard in my little corner of the world.  Probably no harder than in many of your lives, but I am facing some stern challenges, stretching me to the limits of my resources.  And thus, I am giving serious thought to questions such as those above.

Hope you are making good choices and are satisfied with your life trade-offs this evening.  Until next time ... your grandmotherly sensei...Marsha

Footnote:  If this post was too heavy for you, stay tuned for a discussion of navel lint in the near future.