Is Life Fair?

I recently saw a post on Facebook where someone was wondering “if the end of the road is any better than the beginning.” I have no idea if they were being serious or not, but it made me think about life.

Since the very beginning of time, the World has presented the same incredible opportunities, as well as the same crummy pitfalls. As culture and technology have changed throughout the centuries, the opportunities and pitfalls have taken on a different appearance, but they are the same in nature all the way back to the beginning of time. With regard to the beginning, middle, and end of the road, they can be comparatively worse, better, unrelated… The really cool thing is that each of us as individuals get to choose. Our choices, thoughts, spoken words, actions, efforts, lack of effort, and everything else we do (or don’t do) has an effect on where our life path goes. Some people seem to make the same choices, but have different outcomes. Some are good, some not so good…

Is it fair? What does that mean, really? If your attitude depends on whether or not you have been treated fairly, you had better be ready for some serious upheavals in your life. My kids have a certain fascination with fairness. Who gets to sit by the window, who gets to choose what to watch on tv, who gets new shoes, who stays home from school if they are sick, who got to stay up until 9:00pm and who didn’t… Sometimes it is enough to drive us crazy. Life has circumstances. Sometimes they are convenient; sometimes they are just plain irritating. Fair? Unfair? Does it really matter?

If I hear someone complaining about life being unfair, I like to ask them if they were breathing when they woke up. The answer is always ‘yes’ (since I don’t spend much time talking to dead people). I respond with, “Then life was fair to you today.” Once you get out of bed and get moving, life is just life. It is not fair or unfair. It just is…

So my recommendation is to un-hinge your attitudes and your idea of happiness from life’s circumstances. Get up everyday, check for that first breath of fresh air, smile, and then get on with it (and don’t forget to brush your teeth). Choose to be happy. Choose to have a great attitude. Choose to smile, even if you can’t think of a reason to. You will find it is contagious. If you have great things happening in your life, enjoy them. If things aren’t so good, roll up your sleeves and tackle your problems with a smile. Enjoy the challenge. Don’t be afraid to make a change or two. Many people are unhappy and dissatisfied because they constantly try to shoehorn their same old life into changing circumstances. Chances are, that is not going to work out for you.

What is the point of this, you might ask? None, really. Just the ramblings of a middle-aged-white-guy, married-with-children, going about life, doing his best.

Here’s the thing, though. Listen closely…
I’ve learned the secret to happiness.

Choose to be happy, and you will be. There, that’s it. Sounds simple, right. It actually is, in fact! Try it; you just might like it. Stop worrying about whether or not life is fair. If you find yourself asking that question, take a deep breath. That is your answer...