Monday's Musing
"One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes...and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
I've been thinking a lot about the choices that we all make: those that are simple and those that are much more difficult and complex. At several times in my life, I've made a conscious decision to do something that was more difficult but was in line with what I like to think I believe. I don't like to think of the times I've made choices that were just easier, and not necessarily the right thing. Sometimes the thing that's easiest happens to be the right thing. Other times, though, doing the right thing is more difficult and ends up being more painful. If it's painful, is it still the right thing? How do you decide what to do when the right thing for someone else will hurt you too much? Or them?
I guess you all have caught me in a contemplative mood today. :)
Have a great week!
Labels: Monday's Musing
posted by Romi at 9:35 AM
5 Comments:
Oh! You have a philosofic monday this week!
Take choices is not easy. I listen my heart and my brain a few times. Then , I choice.
Cheers
Rosalia
Most often, I've found, doing the right thing is painful. Usually, if it's easy and painless, its somehow wrong.
It costs more to buy free range beef and locally grown organic vegetables rather than just running down to the grocery and eating God knows what. Walking to work (as I'm close) rather than driving sometimes leaves me wet or cold by the time I arrive at my destination. Watching my friends buy new stuff on credit while I wait until I've saved up the purchase price is sometimes humiliating because I'm not running with the crowd.
But it's all the right thing to do, and nothing anywhere promised that making concientious choices would be easy.
I guess you could try asking yourself what the effects of your choice could be in a year, five, ten. Often short term unpleasantness is worth the long term outcome. Sometimes it doesn't matter much, so then we can spare ourselves the unpleasantness and just move on. Other times you just know in your gut what you cannot accept regardless of the outcome. The choice is already made.
Most importantly I think that we need to be forgiving of each other and of ourselves. Make the best choice that you can at the time and then don't beat yourself up over it, even if it turns out poorly. You tried, you're living your life with as much integrity as you can. Sometimes we're wrong, sometimes we get it right. Good enough is good enough.
- Denise (dlotter on ravelry & twitter)
It seems that part of growing up is learning that the short term pain, which as others have said is often more for the right behavior, is far out-weighed by the relief of having done the right thing and the avoidance of long term pain, as well.
Great quote. See you at Yarnover!
It's tough! But I always try to remember that when we make a decision it's always going to be what we consider to be the best decision at that particular time. Most of us won't actively decide to hurt someone or ourselves simply out of spite - we're taking a particular decision because we think it is the right thing to do/say.
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