It's Not The Road Less Traveled

Conventional wisdom would dictate that the nemesis of light would be darkness. Reality, however, is anything but rational. More often than not, light comes into conflict with other sources of light. Anything that does not belong to the same wavelength, same color, has a chance to interfere with our vision. Yellow collides with white, orange with blue. Unfortunately, the same metaphor applies to life.

People seldom make black-and-white choices. People in poverty, for example, don't have a rags or riches option, and they only happened to pick the former. More often than not, we usually receive two seemingly lucrative offers: two jobs that are high paying, one involves your interests, the other promising a life of promotion and growth. We're blinded by both offers, because they both appear good. Sometimes, they really are as good as it seems, and giving up one is merely an opportunity cost to attain the other. Sometimes, however, what we think we want is not really what we desire. Some professions seem perfect for example, and it's only when we actually experience them that the reallity hits us. Unlike cars, we can't test drive jobs before delving into them (well, it's call "internship"). By the time we're there, it's either resign or stick with it.

Religion is another topic that seems appropriate. Most, if not all, religions promise salvation. However, you have to choose one religion, and just one. If light were to be equated with salvation, there are several groups out there promising the same thing. Which one is true, which one is real and which are fake? No one will obviously admit that theirs is the faulty religion. And in the end, who knows? They might be all correct. It's merely the choosing that becomes problematic.

Love is also one subject matter that involves choices. I'm not just talking about romance, but love in general. Several people are vying for our affection: friends, family, significant others, and ourselves (it's surprising how many people forget the last part). It could be in terms of time, effort, or money. Obviously, we only have so much to go around. Each one sparkles for a different reason. Family, for example, might appear like a diamond, constant and enduring. Your significant other, on the other hand, might seem like a ruby, attractive and sparkling. But the question is who should we prioritize? Juggling all our loved ones is a difficult choice, and sometimes, there is no optimum choice, merely a choice.

It's faulty reasoning to believe that everything will appear polarized and clear. Sometimes, the problem begins at discerning which is good and which is bad. Most of the time, however, opportunities and experiences will appear like light, blinding us to everything else. When faced with options, it's what some people would call "a good problem". It's good because you actually have options, both of which seem benefical to you. It's a problem because you're always losing out on something else and decision-making can be such a pain.

It would seem as if life would be better off if someone was guiding us all the way, as if we only had one destiny, or if we could only fall in love with just one person, or that there was only one career for us. That's not how life goes, however, and that's the burden that free will and freedom exacts from us. Still, I'd rather live life choosing, rather than living it in ignorance.