Options
Today I am grateful for the family treasures I have kept over the years, and for the space to store them and keep them safe. I also appreciate the guidance that early morning meditation provided me to start this day.
A second "O" word of challenge has been sitting on my brain the last couple of weeks, and I am a little fired up about it this morning. Here I go with OPTIONS. Excuse me, but I need to make room for my soapbox. . .
What the heck is going on with all the options facing us in the grocery stores of the developed world?
Do we need that many different flavors and kinds of chips to consider before we purchase one? Is it necessary to have dozens of different cereals in the cereal aisle? We didn't go hungry growing up with Wheaties, Cheerios, 40% Bran Flakes, and Chex.
Sure it's nice to be able to customize shoes, cars, furniture and to select a color combination from a variety of options. It feels a little exorbitant to me though. There's a real first-world problem. Which color will look best? Having the means to purchase shoes, cars, and furniture is blessing enough. Maybe I could save some time and keep it simple, save some money and donate it.
I am guilty of both appreciating the options at my disposal and being frustrated by what they reflect about the "advanced" society I live in. Plenty of jobs, resources, and time go into marketing and advertising efforts to get us all thinking we deserve all these choices and we should be able to get what we want.
Soapbox speech: What is wrong in a world where some people get anxious because there are too many options for them at the store or online and they can't decide, while other people get anxious because they aren't sure if there will be enough food to feed their children an evening meal, or any meal for that matter?
Stepping down from this soapbox, I don't feel any better, rather spoiled and a bit gluttonous. My family and I keep things fairly simple when it comes to material goods, but we are clearly some of the "haves" of this world.
My intent with discussing options is not to make myself and others feel guilty for what we do have. It is to catalyze us into ongoing healthy options that exist in our days. When I opt to appreciate what I already have, I take better care of it and don't feel the need to add to what I already consider to be enough. When I opt to see the good in others and in myself, I contribute far more than I contaminate.
Each aisle at the store is full of options. Each day ahead is full of options. What I choose to do with my time and the energy I bring to my interactions with others is far more important to me than pondering a flavor or a color. Options. We all have them. Living gratefully guides my choices better than living greedily does.
A second "O" word of challenge has been sitting on my brain the last couple of weeks, and I am a little fired up about it this morning. Here I go with OPTIONS. Excuse me, but I need to make room for my soapbox. . .
What the heck is going on with all the options facing us in the grocery stores of the developed world?
Do we need that many different flavors and kinds of chips to consider before we purchase one? Is it necessary to have dozens of different cereals in the cereal aisle? We didn't go hungry growing up with Wheaties, Cheerios, 40% Bran Flakes, and Chex.
Sure it's nice to be able to customize shoes, cars, furniture and to select a color combination from a variety of options. It feels a little exorbitant to me though. There's a real first-world problem. Which color will look best? Having the means to purchase shoes, cars, and furniture is blessing enough. Maybe I could save some time and keep it simple, save some money and donate it.
I am guilty of both appreciating the options at my disposal and being frustrated by what they reflect about the "advanced" society I live in. Plenty of jobs, resources, and time go into marketing and advertising efforts to get us all thinking we deserve all these choices and we should be able to get what we want.
Soapbox speech: What is wrong in a world where some people get anxious because there are too many options for them at the store or online and they can't decide, while other people get anxious because they aren't sure if there will be enough food to feed their children an evening meal, or any meal for that matter?
Stepping down from this soapbox, I don't feel any better, rather spoiled and a bit gluttonous. My family and I keep things fairly simple when it comes to material goods, but we are clearly some of the "haves" of this world.
My intent with discussing options is not to make myself and others feel guilty for what we do have. It is to catalyze us into ongoing healthy options that exist in our days. When I opt to appreciate what I already have, I take better care of it and don't feel the need to add to what I already consider to be enough. When I opt to see the good in others and in myself, I contribute far more than I contaminate.
Each aisle at the store is full of options. Each day ahead is full of options. What I choose to do with my time and the energy I bring to my interactions with others is far more important to me than pondering a flavor or a color. Options. We all have them. Living gratefully guides my choices better than living greedily does.
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