Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Are you Satisfied?

I recently read this post that highlighted some comments made by
Barry Schwartz, author of the book "The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less "

The author says,
People are so overwhelmed with choice that it has two effects. Instead of liberating people it tends to paralyze them. Second, with all of this choice people may do better objectively—they may get a better salad dressing, CD player or spouse—but they will feel worse. When there are lots of options out there and you choose one and it is less than perfect, it is easy to imagine that there is a better one out there.

Too much choice makes people more likely to defer decisions. It raises expectations and makes people blame themselves more often for choosing poorly. As Schwartz puts it:
You don’t expect much if there are only two pairs of jeans to choose from. If there are hundreds, you expect one to be perfect. We end up being dissatisfied with an outcome that is better even than when we had fewer choices. When there are only two types of jeans to choose from and the one you choose is not perfect, it’s the world’s fault. If there are 200 choices, it’s your fault.



Why are more choices confusing? Is it really the case? What is the problem here?

Ironically, as individuals, to be satisfied itself is a choice that we all have to make.
It does not depend on any"thing". If it does, then your satisfaction is tied to that "thing"and what seems like satisfaction will only last until the next best "thing" comes along.
The author says, by limiting the choices one has, you can drive someone to satisfaction BUT Spiritually speaking, we can approach this along different lines, I believe.

Like I said before, for satisfaction you have to simply choose to be so
as it is a state of awareness.
IF you let your mind kick in, it brings with it a slew of analysis and comparison tools along with it and starts presenting you with choices like a search engine.

Sure, there is a place for it, to find the thing that meets your needs/wants but then again, if the mind extends its stay, it certainly can make your life miserable as it will prevent you from choosing that state of satisfaction
by appealing to your Ego through the "better" concept and we all know going after "better" is chasing illusion as there is always something better.

You have to draw the line at "good" - what is good for you - good enough to meet your needs/demands/wants. Then, deliberately Choose to be satisfied irrespective of your decision. Infact, you can choose to be satisfied all the time by accepting the present moment as is.
It is your choice to make and only you have to power.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Celebrating YOU!

Here is a beautiful story I got from my friend that reminds us all to not only recognize our individualities but to celebrate and rejoice in them.

A water bearer in China had two large pots,
each hung on the ends of a polewhich he carried across his neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked potarrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect forwhich it was made.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After 2 years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream, "I am ashamed of myself, and because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."

The bearer said to the pot,"Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.
Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.

Moral: Each of us has our own unique "flaws". We're all cracked pots. But it's the cracks and flaws that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the goodness in them including you.

Celebrate your individuality because it is worth it!

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