Wednesday, May 19, 2010

You Get What You Get...

Years ago when my son started preschool he came home with a new expression he learned from the teacher.  "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit..."  I laughed as he applied this new found wisdom to every aspect of his life.

As adults we have often been told to strive for more, to never settle and to push the limits put before us. Being happy with what we have is considered some sort of defect or unacceptable personality flaw.

So when is it okay to be happy with what you have and when should you push for more?  I am sure that question is on the list of eternal unanswerable philosophical conundrums.

There have been a few moments in my life where I am content with what I have, where I am and who is around me.  There are other moments I would trade my life for that of the next guy I see get off the bus.  It truly ebbs and flows.

So if we live by the preschool philosophy, "you get what you get," how can that make our lives better?  Are we supposed to be thrilled with less than we wanted?  In a short answer, yes.

As a culture we spend a lot of time and energy looking for more.  We want more peace, more wealth, more toys, more vacations.  We want better jobs, better services, better options.

When was the last time you stopped and looked at what you had and were happy?  So here is the challenge for today.  Everything that comes your way today is a good thing (trust me...) so find something to be happy about.  If your car gets a flat, enjoy the time away from work.  If your window is broken, enjoy the breeze.  You can worry about it later... if you want to.

2 comments:

  1. Don't worry. Be happy. Be grateful for what you have.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Anonymous,

    I agree. Gratitude is an amazing and powerful force.

    ReplyDelete