Is there some reason why you deserve to settle for second-best whilst others consider themselves entitled to the finest? Why, of course there isn't. So, if you find yourself in the situation where it seems as if such an unsatisfactory state of affairs presides, you must ask yourself how you have got into this and what you can do to get out of it. Perhaps you feel you don't have the luxury of choice. So, what is limiting you? Isn't the source of that very limitation something so precious that it is worth making a sacrifice for?
What a different world it would be if we all agreed? How can it be any better than that? Unless, perhaps, we were all to agree, not with each other, but with you. What about if we all saw it your way? What if everything you said went? That would be pleasing, wouldn't it? Or would it? Perhaps it would just be incredibly boring. A little dynamic tension is no bad thing.
They say you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs. What if you were counting on the chickens that might have hatched from those eggs? It is always hard to know whether to save or spend. Just as easily as we can regret making some purchases, we can sometimes settle for second-best, only to realise later that it has all been a false economy. And then, there are the moral, ethical and political implications to take into account too. Yet you are making a wise investment, one that you won't regret. The rules are the rules. They exist for a very good reason and we must adhere to them all or risk the consequences. Who enforces them? Well, various officials take responsibility for this but, by and large, it all comes down to the likes of you and me. We are self-policing. Our fear of being caught out is so strong that it prevents us from transgressing, even when there is no one around to catch us.
Once, the world was a dark, ignorant place. Questions went unanswered. Few people understood what their lives were all about. Then someone invented the internet and everything changed! Now, no matter what we need to know, we can check it on a website. Can't we? Or might we all now be suffering from arrogance instead of ignorance? There are some judgements that are best left to instinct, for no amount of research is going to enlighten you.
Let the good times roll.' These words comes from a classic song written long ago by Shirley Goodman and Leonard Lee. Ever since, if you ask anyone what movement good times make, they will tell you that they 'roll'. And what do good times do if they are not rolling? Any economist can answer that. We have all just lived through several years, during which the good times have been resolutely refusing to roll. But soon, the chocks will be away on the wheels for the world.
We think we know people. We see them every day. We interact at all kinds of levels. Our relationships may even have titles and labels, yet it doesn't automatically follow that we know what's going on inside their minds. We all have secrets from one another. We even have secrets from ourselves. Not all of those secrets are dark. Sometimes we discover that our companions have the most delightful hidden depth. You are now in the process of making some surprising discoveries.
 If you snap your fingers and say the magic words, what will happen? That partly depends on what the magic words are and on who is listening to them. There are, for example, some magic words that only have to be whispered in your ear in order to attain a surprisingly dramatic response. The merest hint of a particular rare pleasure can trigger eager anticipation. And the slightest mention of a controversial subject can set you off on an angry tirade. Someone else is similarly sensitive. Be careful.
Are you successful? Why, of course you are. And, if you feel inclined to argue otherwise, perhaps we should more carefully investigate the meaning of the word 'success'. It doesn't necessarily mean 'rich'. That's a very cheap and narrow definition. A lot of very rich people are miserably unsuccessful at the art of maintaining good personal relationships or of appreciating the true beauty of nature. What kind of success can be worth having if it doesn't include this?
Are you successful? Why, of course you are. And, if you feel inclined to argue otherwise, perhaps we should more carefully investigate the meaning of the word 'success'. It doesn't necessarily mean 'rich'. That's a very cheap and narrow definition. A lot of very rich people are miserably unsuccessful at the art of maintaining good personal relationships or of appreciating the true beauty of nature. What kind of success can be worth having if it doesn't include this?We wouldn't want to cook with anything other than the finest ingredients. We wouldn't want to be with anyone other than the nicest companions. To uphold such high standards is not so much a form of selfishness, it's a demonstration of self-respect. What might be the alternative? To say, 'I'll just be useful and eat up the bad food nobody else wants.' I know these people aren't very nice but I'll be their friend because nobody else will.' You have your standards for a reason and no harm can come today from sticking to them.
Life is for living. What other purpose can it possibly have? Yet, too often, we read articles or engage in conversations that seem to support the idea that life is about struggling, coping with hardship, wrestling with an endless challenge to keep a pack of voracious wolves from the fragile door that stands between us and insolvency. There! You see what I mean? Even that brief mention of a stressful topic is enough to make you forget what life is really for. Coming events will bring a happier reminder of life's true purpose.
A thirsty person, in the middle of a desert, may know that a lake is just a few miles away but they still have to get there by rationing their water.