Have
you ever wondered what your life would look like had you chosen a different
direction?
Of
course you have, we all have. A “woulda, coulda, shoulda” scenario liken to the
1998 movie “Sliding Doors” which starred Gwyneth Paltrow in a parallel tale
comparing her life had she boarded a train before the sliding door closes vs.
left standing on the platform.
It’s
not unusual to find myself day dreaming about the different choices I would have
made and the ways they could have changed the shape of my life. Clearly, the outcome of
my imaginary vision is in stark contrast to my “real” life which is precisely the
point. So I began to wonder, how many people if given the option would actually
jump at the chance to “re-do” their entire life’s work? Intriguing…..
Seems
like an easy enough choice, right? For example, if you were a contestant on
“Let’s make a deal” and had the benefit of knowing that what lies behind door
number one was “seemingly” far better than the door you chose, why wouldn’t
you trade for it if given the possibility?!! Duh??!!!
Albeit
the concept of an entirely altered world filled with different faces, places
and events is certainly enticing and even exciting in many ways but no matter how
glorious the fantasy, I suspect would likely fall short of our expectations.
Purely
conjecture on my part, though I doubt experiences would be very gratifying equipped with
all that unearned insight to, and I use the word loosely, achieve an optimum lifestyle.
Some
may disagree. After all, who in their right mind would bypass the good fortune
to perfect their life through reinvention? I conceive the likelihood is that more
often than not, most everyone.
You
see, no matter how mundane, difficult or lacking our lives may feel at times, we
hold the exclusive rights to our journey. Sure there are plenty of supporting
cast members, outside contributors and various unknowns that make crafting an
unwavering course unlikely, but the one absolute is that this sequence of
events called life is “OURS” for the taking. Indubitably, that which makes up the
highlights, joys and successes is none the sweeter for this very reason.
Imagination
may be the cornerstone of aspirations, and certainly conjures up notions beyond
limits that in reality we might consider unattainable. Nevertheless, the true
spirit of living seems to warrant that we seek out what we truly want vs. being handed a custom made ideal.
I
confess I enjoy escaping through the abstract version of my “better self”. A
reproduction regarded as an exquisitely beautiful, uber successful,
multi-lingual entrepreneur, holding several Ivy league degrees who surfs like a
pro, has traveled extensively and admired for philanthropic contribution (I
assure you this list is far from exhaustive). But truth be told, I really just
long to possess the fire and motivation to genuinely contribute in some memorable fashion whilst being appreciated for
my efforts. I won’t pretend to understand the psychology behind my fantastical dreamscape;
perchance it's due to a deep rooted belief that if I’m not at the very least extraordinary than my life
would be as worthless as the paper it is printed on…in a matter of speaking.
Logically,
I realize this concept is nonsensical. Even those we admire and celebrate
unlikely possess such an enormity of outstanding qualities. More reasonable is
acknowledging that noteworthy accomplishments are a cocktail of individual
talents that have been nurtured through passion, dedication and hard work; not
daydreaming.
Arguably,
it’s much more fun and instantly gratifying to hunker down inside that little
head of yours to make all great things crystallize. I certainly have no
intention of giving up my “play time”, though I am committed to spending a
little less time there and focusing on that which I can realize, at least to
some degree on my own. Who knows, I may even surprise myself!
My conclusion is that we are not designed to
drift along carefree devoid of challenge. I think that would better describe the
“after life”; for those who entertain such ideas ;) So the door I've chosen still seems far more appropriate than a knock-off version of my reality. Undoubtedly, I can certainly call it my own.
