Freedom Can Be a Nightmare
You Don’t Need Too Much of That
If I give you a choice between going to dinner or movies, it will be a hard nut to crack. Nonetheless, you could make a choice in fairly a short period. If I ask you to do anything, absolutely anything in this world, well, most of us including me will be confused.
When you are given a wide spectrum of choices to pick, naturally you think there is a lot on stake. You don’t want to miss anything. If there are only one or two choices there is a lot less confusion.
Depression and Dissatisfaction Are Sisters
Depression and dissatisfaction are sisters or brothers whatever you think seem appropriate. The downside of innumerable choices is not the pain of choosing at the start. It is the feeling of discontent after you make a decision.
If you were given a choice to do whatever you want, sure you will be confused in the beginning, but the real disappointment comes after you have made the choice. Still, confused? Let me explain with an example.
Your friend asks you to choose between tea and coffee and he is paying. In another instance, your friends ask you to choose one thing from the whole menu. In the first case, it will be easier for you to pick your choice. In the second case, you will take a hell lot of time to choose. Me, personally will not be able to select anything thinking again and again if I pick this then I will miss that.
But the real grief comes after some time of your decision. No matter how well thought or well proposed your decision was. In cases where options were unlimited, there is almost always regret.
In the above example, almost all of us feel that cringe after we are halfway eating our food of choice. Why? Because the thought which says “I could have picked anything” keeps poking us for the rest of our meal.
Why Depression Is Common Among Wealthy People
Depression is not uncommon in not so wealthy people but I want to talk about how money gives people the blues and the blahs. Well, to begin with, their life is always at crossroads. They can have anything. They can live wherever they like, however they want. They can do whatever they love, wear whatever they like.
You see where it is going. Too many possibilities. Their life is a series of complex decisions, to begin with. Yes, complex. When you have apparently infinite alternatives the selection is always complex. So, it’s one demanding task after the other. But the real trouble starts after a while.
Not one decision feels good enough. The same feeling of “I could have anything” keeps nudging them. Their choice of the place where they live, their choice of profession, clothes, lifestyle everything comes under question. A slightest of unhappy experience triggers the frustration. And when there are a lot of unhappy thoughts, disappointment and dissatisfaction the twin sister or the brother depression is due to pay them a visit.
How to Manage Your Options
Having a large number of way outs is good. You can make a well-informed decision. It gives your life diversity and uniqueness. And there is a way you can manage the post-selection despair. Understand that you can’t have it all. Neither the Emperors nor Queens who came before you had it all, neither the techies who are among us are having it all nor anyone in the future will be able to.
Everyone made choices. So, narrow it down. Eliminate options from your list one by one until you have shrunk it to one or two choices. Eliminating options from our mind saves us from the despair of post-decision results. It trains our mind to let go of those things.
1- Write Down Your Options
Writing on a paper is a perfect way. There are countless apps for phones and laptops but in my personal experience, there is something in writing on a paper. You can choose whatever pleases you. So, write down your options, all of them. Then mention the reason for narrowing down or discarding against each option
After 1st round of elimination again write down the shortlisted options. Do the same activity again, keep on doing until you have narrowed it down to 2 choices. Make a decision.
2- Let Go of Things
Most importantly, always remember what I said earlier, you can’t have it all. People before and after you were not able to engulf the infiniteness of this universe. So, it is OK to let go of somethings. We all make sacrifices in life. We all have to make choices, if we don’t make choices they will be made for us. That’s far worse than choosing for yourself.
This thought can give you satisfaction. Think of all the positives you experienced due to the decision you made. Sure, if you had made some other decision things would have been different but you wouldn’t have this, what you have now. Count your blessings, not the limitations.
Summary
- Absolute Freedom can give you sleepless nights pondering over what to do.
- Make choices by writing all the options then eliminating one by one.
- Live with your decisions.
- Pharaoh of Egypt couldn’t have all amenities of life so it’s OK for you to not have somethings.
- Count your Blessings, not the would haves.
I dare you to choose just the right flavor from the below coffee cups and your favorite shade of blue color.
