"It’s a funny thing about life – if you refuse to accept anything but the very best you will often get it." -Clyde Abel
Many years ago, my wife and I were enjoying our honeymoon at Club Med in Tahiti. If you’ve been to an all-inclusive resort, you’re familiar with the massive amount of food they have at the buffet. Well, as I walked down the buffet line, I started to load my plate up with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I was about half way down the counter and food was already falling off of my plate and on to the floor — I just couldn’t fit any more on my plate! I quickly learned that the best way to approach this challenge was to first take a look at what was available, and then pick the foods I liked the most.
This "buffet syndrome" also happens in life. We start adding things to our lives — a little bit of this and a little bit of that. We try to learn too much,do too much, help too much, work too much, etc. Things begin to fall off the plate that may have been what we actually love. We then end up with what is just "okay." When we force ourselves to try a little of everything, we often miss out on what we really enjoy.
By first taking a look at what is available to us, and then choosing what is truly the best for us and what we most enjoy, we can begin to say "no" to the things that fill up our time and keep us from living with greater joy and ease.
ACTION IDEA:
Take a look at your life and notice what you are currently doing that you do not enjoy. Got it?
Now, how could you take that activity off of your "plate?" Could you just stop doing it? Could you delegate it? Could you pay someone else to do it?
Challenge yourself to take one thing off your plate this week (just one for now) and you will most likely notice that you can have more of what you want with greater joy and ease.