The Menu

Imagine going into a restaurant and asking for a menu only to be told there is none for the day, and no meals will be served. What would your reaction be? You would probably be confused, upset, dumbfounded, or be experiencing a wide range of emotions. By default, as long as a restaurant remains open, it must have certain meals to serve. Understandably, there might be certain specials or buffets that are reserved for a specific time of the day, but they simply cannot refuse to have a menu for as long as they remain open.

What if I told you that life is like a restaurant with a daily menu!! As long as you are alive, it means you are open for business, and as long as you are open for business, you must choose from the menu; whatever that is. Your experience in life is therefore largely a blend of the choices you make or what you do with the choices presented to you.

Ever been to a place where the menu had fancy names you could neither pronounce nor recognize? Or been to one where food items were so ridiculously priced you were scared to order a simple beverage? Such is life; it constantly presents us with options and places demands on us. Life does not give you a break just because you are tired, sad, broke or unwell; life continues to happen regardless. So what do you do when life gives you a menu and the waiter/waitress shows up at your table ready to take your order?

You may delay your decision or ask them to give you a few more minutes, but ultimately, you will have to act. When it comes times to choose, ideally, you will consider your options, preferences, circumstances, the extent of your hunger and your ability to pay. You then place your request based on those factors. May I mention that it will be unwise to place an order you can’t afford to pay and it will be even more ridiculous to base your food choice on what another person is having knowing fully well that you are allergic to that meal.

The latter example might seem nonsensical to some but it does occur when people find themselves in “allergic life situations” from desperately trying to be like someone else despite knowing it would not produce the contentment or satisfaction they long for. It’s one thing to aspire to “be like someone”, and it’s a whole other score to want to “be exactly that someone”. It will NEVER happen, no matter how hard you try, because there is only 1 version of you, and only 1 version of that other person. At most, you can become an improved version of yourself and that’s something worth aspiring for. So be the best you.

In life, some days present us with great menus, while others might have disappointing or heartbreaking options. For the great days, your optimum effort should include savoring those times, relishing the experience and doing all in your power to extend those moments. For those not so good times that life throws upon us and/or we throw upon ourselves, we must still choose to live through it. The utmost you can do is to reconsider decisions, strategize, grow, educate one’s self with new information and find better ways of handling or preventing certain situations. If you have one, it’s awesome to rely on positive social support during those tough moments, but if these are not readily available to you, must encourage yourself “this too shall pass”. You must continue to choose life, until living is no longer an option.

So I ask, “What’s ON YOUR MENU TODAY? What will you choose?