Sometimes it does feel as though too many choices are a bad thing: from which vacation rental to reserve to which book to read to which thought to entertain. However, the mere fact that you have choices is an indicator that you have control over your life. And that, is a very good thing, a very fortunate and worth celebrating thing, no?

As I was going about making my plans for next summer's holiday, I was at first perplexed by the multitude of options of where to stay, when to go where and what to do, but then I paused and reminded myself that planning so far in advance was giving me the opportunity to have options and that was something to be thankful for.

And while the worry of what choice to make may bounce around in each of our minds when presented with such a plethora of options, I was reminded of something Barry Schwartz shared in his book The Paradox of Choice, 

“When asked about what they regret most in the last six months, people tend to identify actions that didn’t meet expectations. But when asked about what they regret most when they look back on their lives as a whole, people tend to identify failures to act.” 

How I interpreted his quote was in the short-term, we may doubt that we chose the best book to read or the right rental for our vacation, but as time passes, we debate less about the choice we made and simply become more appreciative that we made a choice and selected something rather than not making a choice at all.

I think there is a significant life lesson in this realization: give whatever it is that you are entertaining a try. At least a shot. Allow yourself the chance to experience what you are curious about instead of eschewing all the options because you feel overwhelmed. If you have to, narrow it down to a handful and then just select. Letting the selecting ease your mind as you have solidified your decision by taking action. 

Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Less Traveled" is open to many different interpretations if analyzed closely, and one perspective is the mere realization that upon taking one path you literally cannot take another and quite plainly, that makes all the difference which is neither good or bad. It just is, and it is up to each of us to make the most of the journey we have chosen. So here's to the journey, may we forever continue to put one step in front of the other and savor what we discover and not be discouraged to the point of stagnation. 

What you will find In this week's newsletter: whatever journey you are on at this current moment, having a good book with you is always a good idea, and I have found 10 books to enjoy this summer season; as well, a summer recipe to try that is simple and full of flavor; and to get back on the idea of making the most of the life we choose, this week's episode of the podcast discusses the concept of happiness versus contentment. Be sure to take a listen. 

Well, this weekend will be a simple but lovely few days as dear friends I haven't seen in almost decades (plural!) are visiting, and time to watch Wimbledon and a few stages of Le Tour de France will be part of the schedule as well. I do hope you have a lovely weekend and until next week, I'll see you on the blog.​​​​​​​