Reference: "BrainWave Diary" (09/09/00)

To re-pot, prune, transplant or replace?

Of all the questions asked, questions of self-determination, destiny and aspiration achievement dominate. I have met few who were totally satisfied with their current situation or circumstances even though they were not unhappy either. The tedium and potholes of everyday life can have an accumulative debilitating effect over time, often clouding or obscuring the basic positive aspects of any overall situation. Truth be known, it is the small percentage of dislikes and irritants that float to life's surface becoming the thin layer with high visibility occupying a minds attention, often with a false sense of proportion.

The preponderance of an individual life's good, solid features is often taken for granted and starves for attention at the expense of the smaller but "squeaky wheel" irritants and passing disappointments.

Dissatisfaction can be a positive attribute, driving desire for improvement.

BUT

Dissatisfaction can be a de-motivator, boiling the pot of discontent.

One classic danger of desiring dramatic change is the temptation of throwing away an entire situation in the hopes of replacing it completely with another more favorable one. The risk of this approach is great unless one has a deep understanding of what it is exactly that is being thrown away. Often the total inventory of life's positive features is not that well understood, especially connectors to secondary and thrice removed positive features not easily traced, tracked and counted.

One must also consider impacts on others through dramatic approaches.

To cure some dissatisfaction wrought by the thin, top surface layer of transient irritation, it may be more fruitful to attend to these only and not risk the trauma of a total replacement strategy. Some circumstances may be so hopeless that the very core of existence is rotten and total replacement is the only option. These are probably few and far between but do exist. We must all do that which we must do.

Most successful projects constitute ninety percent thinking and ten percent doing.

It is best not to short change the former in favour of increasing the latter. If there are doubts about this in a given situation, seek expertise.

Even for plant problems we will do that.

"Whatever you pursue gains credibility... even undeserving things."