2004-03-08
I read this very interesting book this weekend: The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz.
While some of the contents were pretty obvious, and while I already follow quite a bit of the advice therein, I found it engaging and valuable. A lot of stuff I tend to struggle with as an individual is really endemic to our society (or my slice of our society) and I find it useful to realize that despite my desire to be terminally unique.
One suggestion had to do with reframing the inevitable comparisons one makes. Most tend to compare themselves to those who are better off rather than to those worse off. This is, of course, old news, but I've decided to make a continued effort to retrain myself in better, um, let's call it mental hygiene. Habits of mind.
And despite dangers of Oprah-fying myself, one exercise I'm going to try is recording each day five things for which I'm grateful. I mean, what the hell do I have to lose except my crusty cynicism?
So, without further ado....
- I'm grateful that the fire caused by my neighbor's negligence yesterday damaged only her house and not ours and that no one was hurt.
- I'm grateful that B is so smart and prepared and generally competent that when my neighbor first discovered the fire (started when embers from an afternoon bonfire blew onto pine needles), she called him for help rather than her son-in-law who lives on the other side of us.
- I'm grateful that yesterday we had gloriously beautiful cool, sunny weather and that Clay and I made a great visit to the playground, running about and laughing with nary a temper tantrum or meldown.
- I'm grateful that B and C and I had a nice lunch at Whole Foods and that the assortment of items I selected from the prepared foods section and from the salad bar were (I am a bit of a Goldilocks in the food department) just right. And the iced coffee I followed it up with was perfect.
- I'm grateful that when I dashed out at to the mall at lunchtime today to get my new glasses adjusted I was helped by a woman who knew exactly what she was doing and that on my way out of the mall I made an uncharacteristic foray into the shoe department and made the wildly uncharacteristic purchase of these sandals. In pink! On sale!
In other news, I find myself quite sad about Martha Stewart's fate. I've always admired the hell out of her. B had what struck me as a brilliant notion--that after doing her time, she needs to have--or fabricate--a spiritual awakening and reinvent herself. He suggested she team up with Jimmy Carter, whom I also love, and his Habitat for Humanity efforts. Can't you just see it?
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