#ThoughtfulDailyPost is a weekly discipline for me for the conversation it fosters and the contemplation I have come to enjoy making time for! @Wesphilbin waves the flag for us and runs @thoughtfulposts as the curation account that rewards thoughtful posts. Please join us in sharing your positive vibes on the blockchain and consider delegating.

Here are this week's bits of internet wisdom that caught my eye, loosely paired with meticulously curated music at my fancy.

Problems & Happiness

This one has got to be public domain by now for how long money has been currency in our society and how many time some iteration of this quote has been brought up in conversation. Definitely worth being thoughtful about as mindset has plenty to do with attitude and that is either your support or resistance when it comes to money...which is the only thing that works at the grocery store near me. No need to beleaguer the concept of the importance of money, but perhaps consider its impact on problems and happiness.

Looking at that fella swimming in the water, apparently next to his classic yacht with the old school wooden boom, a nice stack of white towels and his personal help warming the ocean so that he has more comfort, I initially think that money certainly has solved some problems for him and takes care of many issues before they become problems. Sure there are probably a whole new level of problems, and cashing in your life in the sole pursuit of money so that issues can be spent out of existence isn't what I would suggest but think about the problems you have right now impacting your happiness.

Happiness is another aspect entirely. Having problems should not make a person unhappy as a life without problems cannot exist. If it did, that would manifest itself into a whole new set of problems. Happiness, to me, is more of a decision than a result and occasional checks on that happiness come up better when we choose to have a good attitude.

Would my attitude improve if I had 7 figures in the bank and fewer issues that are waiting to be solved by money? I certainly believe that! Am I unhappy because that is not the case? Hell no. Mainly because I am working towards achieving that and hundreds of blessings that are easily overlooked in the heat of the moment bubble up to the surface when you simply choose happiness and think about them.

I have used Pink Floyd enough times so how about a classic from Asia to help us in the Heat of the Moment?

Investing vs Spending

Annie Dillard is a Pulitzer prize winning author and english professor of some tenure in the US. Her website reads more like a tantrum than a description of who she is and what makes her special and apparently the internet is simply a source of false information. Meh, the quote is a good one anyhow.

How often have we put something rewarding off until later? How many times have we not taken that vacation this year in favour of waiting 'til next year when now is the time to work? How many years do we have to be able to do that before we run out? How many of those years will afford us the health and opportunity to live life the way we are meant to?

I know that the position future me will be in is partially because of the work and sacrifices present me is making. If present me is not stopping to enjoy the moment, taking the time to relish the connection with this universe, or inspiring myself with adventure and discovery, what were those sacrifices for? If present me is denying myself enjoyment of this life, what's to say future me will be any different and will decide to stop living entirely for the future, squandering the opportunity bought by sacrifices now?

I am not saying YOLO in the context of not working hard and pursuing success. Just that we are spending our lives right now, and mortgaging the present completely in favour of the possibility of happiness and freedom in the future isn't the way. Take the moment now to enjoy the things that are ready to enjoy now without sabotaging the future. That balance of living in the moment, considering the consequences of our actions, and spending our days living surely has to be our super power. Live now!

How heavy can a 2-minute pop song be? Listen to the lyrics about Elanor Rigby and think about the value of spending your days so that there are people at your funeral!

Considering our problems, happiness and how we are spending our lives can only lead to positive changes. If being thoughtful is up your alley, you have the option to delegate to @thoughfulposts to increase the rewards for positivity.
@thoughtfulposts/thoughtfulposts-introduction-or-a-thoughtfuldailypost is the post that started it in 2020!