Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas
The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge. Bertrand Russell
What does a good life look like? Does it often look like someone else’s life? Over there, we see someone accomplishing more, having more fun, going on trips we’ve never gone on.
Do we want the reality of other people’s lives, or just the fantasy? The positives sound great, but what about the negatives? Everyone has negatives in their lives. I think about a month-long trip one of my nephews is taking, trips friends and family are taking, but then a part of me thinks, if you really want to do it, why don’t you do it? There’s the rub; it is easy to fantasize about actions others are taking, but if we want what they’ve got, we have to do what they are doing.
Our choices have shaped our lives, and their choices shaped theirs, and then there are choices we don’t make but are made for us. Management is important, and often we think we should have managed things differently. Choices that seemed good don’t end up being what we thought they’d be.
But what if we take a deep look at those we admire or envy? What is it about their lives we like better than our own, and what would we give up to have or be like them? I know some people who have travelled a lot more than we have, but were unable to have children. They made the best of the hand they were dealt.
Have I done the best with the life I’ve had, or is that where envy comes from? When I talk about my grandchildren, some people look at me with envy because if life didn’t give you children, it will never give you grandchildren. Some have children, but the children aren’t deciding to have children yet.
Life itself is a privilege, but to live life to the fullest well, that is a choice. Andy Andrews
Life is what we make it. What is it about travel that we love, or think we love? Do we really want to experience time shifts, sleeping in strange beds, and eating nothing but purchased food? Is it the sense of adventure? After all, travel seems like an adventure, but do we need to go halfway around the world for adventure?
What does a satisfying day encompass? Sometimes, when I look at everyone going everywhere, I tell myself we’ve built a life we don’t need a vacation from. Yesterday I spent the day removing wallpaper, my three-year-old grandson said, “You need some help.” As my one-year-old granddaughter crawled over, he said, “Here’s your helper.” A little later, he looked at me solemnly and said, “Your littlest helper isn’t much help.” He is much more helpful, pulling off the top layer and spraying water on the bottom layer to remove it.
It wasn’t an exciting day, but it was a satisfying day. I said no to lunch so I could complete it. I chose to remove wallpaper over lunch out with my husband. Was it a good choice? The wallpaper is removed, but we could have spent time together; every choice to do one thing means we can’t do something else.
Our daily choices add up to our lives. Are we making the best choice every time one is offered? Can some of the choices we think are least important be the most important? Are there moments we wish we could go back and make a different choice? Is a life of few regrets a good life? What are our choices today, this week, month, and year that will make a difference in our lives or someone else’s? Do we sometimes not see those choices until we are looking back?
Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. Oprah Winfrey
A secret to life: Know that none of this matters, and yet… live as if every single moment does. Kamal Ravikant
Life is like a book. Some chapters are sad, some are happy, and some are exciting. But if you never turn the page, you will never know what the next chapter holds. Unknown
Thank you for reading this post. Please come back and read more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.