Quotes of the Week from Me:

“Make sure you consider all of your options.”

“Avoid negative comments about others. Your life will get better.”

“It is on you to get you where you want and need to be.”

Quotes of the Week from Others:

“No man is crushed by misfortune unless he has first been deceived by prosperity.” – Seneca

“Progress is not achieved by luck or accident, but by working on yourself daily.” – Epictetus

But if progress is achieved by luck or accident, work is always a component.

“Pleasures can become punishments when taken beyond a certain point.” – Marcus Aurelius

Quick Optimism:

Create spaces you can rely on. Space for quiet. Space for noise. Space for focus and for spontaneity. You need spaces for all parts of you.

Questions of the Week:

Are we asking the right questions? Is that the right… workout, decision, book, meal, person?

Should I have spent money on that? Should I have saved money on that? Would the other vacation have been more fun?

When should I…?

This week I have questions about questions. I am at an interesting stage in life where most of what I choose or decide is influenced by and impacts my family and friends. What can be fun at times, is some of my family and friends are in similar stages. Everyone is trying to figure things out socially, financially, professionally, and beyond, and nobody’s path is identical. There is a lot of room for growth and learning from one another, and certain decisions or questions that make sense for one person, probably won’t make sense for another. Or, maybe they will… to an extent… it depends. It really is open ended.

But when it really comes down to figuring all of these things out, is it possible to ask questions, good and bad, without overthinking the answers and outcomes?

For those I care about, I hope so. For myself, I know it’s possible but it’s not always easy.

I have written articles and newsletters about the pros and cons of multi-tasking or trial and error. But is it possible to truly spend the time necessary to discover our preferences for things listed above, like food, workouts, interests, books, and our relationships? We may think so, but what if we haven’t tried the other options enough? Our narrowed routines may not be preferences.

Life gets complex and it isn’t possible to do pullups while also doing squats. You can’t do pushups while running. You can’t always fit pork chops, steak, burgers, fish, and chicken all on the grill at the same time. You can’t read three books all at once.

It isn’t sustainable. You have to choose. Sometimes you’ll get lost in your fitness journey, sometimes you’ll wish the salmon was steak. But overall if you get into what you are doing in that moment, you will have a better chance of improving the potential outcomes in front of you.

So, this week, ask questions. Ponder answers and outcomes. Commit to what you can manage without worrying about the other options. Like the quote above, consider all options, but don’t let your decisions or choices concern you about missing out on what would have happened if you made a different decision.

Fill your Monday with questions.