i saw something on linkedin today that really struck a chord with me. it was one of those evergreen internet truisms that we see all the time telling us that the only thing wrong with the world is our perspective.

60 minutes working out: "I wish I had time"

60 minutes on Netflix: "Let's watch another!"

Therapist ($130): "Too Expensive"

Trip to Walmart ($130): "Good Deals"

Professional training course ($1000): "Can't afford it"

New iPhone ($1000): "A Necessity"

15 minutes meditating: "An eternity"

15 minutes on social media: "Time flies"

the thing about posts like these is that sometimes we see them and they just piss us off. like oh gee thanks for pointing out another way i am failing at life, asshole. but today was one of those days that i saw this and it was exactly in line with something i have been thinking about a lot lately. we don’t have to change everything about our lives in order to make sure we are investing in long-term growth, but a slight change in perspective can make all the difference in how we feel about the things we maybe should change.

this all ties back to the parable of the three types of soil that i used to learn about in church as a kid. there was a farmer who cast his seed across a field. some of the soil was stony, and the seeds never took root. some of the soil was weedy, and the competitive plants choked out his crops before they could mature. and some of the soil was fertile and produced a bountiful harvest. or something like that. i kind of forgot how the story actually goes to be honest. but the point is that nothing changed about the farmer or his seeds, only where they landed. the point of the story is to say ‘hey dumbass, stop being a stubborn dumbass.’

anyway that’s probably the best lesson that all my years of church attendance ever taught me.