Too Many Choices?

Ever been to the Cheesecake Factory? Yeah, I was dragged there for a girl’s birthday party too. Kind of a drag. Did you have a hard time finding something to eat? Their menu, if given a few hours, can be read cover to cover. So I suppose “finding something” doesn’t really make sense. Choosing something fits better.

I think our generation is having similar issues. Everywhere you look, a decision must be made. Our parents, for the most part, didn’t meet quite so many people. Didn’t have quite so many colleges...dates...jobs...opportunities. Is it possible to have too many choices? Two out of three bar stools seem to be occupied by the over-thinker. He/She sits there in constant contemplation. It seems we can sometimes base choices on fear of regret or to please others. In today’s job market, the average person has about a dozen “jobs.” Do all of those fit into the same career? Is this happening out of necessity, or is it more this idea of choice, newness or even boredom? 

A lake buddy of mine, who goes only by the name of Jimmy, always tells us young guys that “life is all about choices.” This wise sage, who lives by the water in the “love hut” and only wears khaki shorts, an open buttoned short sleeve shirt and a straw hat (with a Milwaukee’s Best in hand), has been through hell and back. He has seen it all. Numerous triumphs and too many tragedies. Jimmy is an old soul in every sense of the word, and his advice has always stayed with us. 

The best we can do is look at all our options and follow our gut. Make the best choice possible and move on. Don’t look back. Spending too much time analyzing all the what-ifs can drive anyone crazy. 

A classic song by John Mayer (http://www.elyrics.net/read/j/john-mayer-lyrics/why-georgia-lyrics.html) titled Why Georgia sums up the “quarter-life crisis” pretty well. Mayer says he still wonders about the outcome of a verdict less life, and is he living it right? The typical twenty-something peers into the heart of this question much like a contemplating Cheesecake customer. Where am I going?

So what do we do about it? Write bellyaching blogs, duh! But also, I think we just do what feels the most right. There is almost always a little tug if you’re listening. Nothing is 100%. Ever. We make choices and we live with them; we learn from them, and we try to have some fun along the way. After all, you can only stare at the menu for so long...