Whose Standards?

By whose standards do we live our lives? Much depends on the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

One who is drowning has no use for water, whereas another dying of thirst in the desert would give everything and anything for a sip of water.

A wealthy individual has no need to find a few dollars with which to put food on the table, whereas a poor person has a great need for that few dollars.

That person with the great need for just a few dollars is normally willing to do just about anything to obtain that money. The wealthy person could pick and choose what it would take to earn a few dollars.

Society as a whole tends to try setting standards for all of us. This is self-defeating. Each of us as individuals have different standards by which we evaluate things and circumstances in our lives.

Living in a densely wooded area with deer, raccoons, squirrels, rattlesnakes, rabbits and other denizens of the area provides me a unique sanctuary. A city dweller who had never been exposed to anything other than city life would be terrified if they had to spend even one night in what is to me a sanctuary. By the same token, I would be extremely uncomfortable in a large city.

If we are ever to be comfortable with our lives, we must live by our own standards, and not those others try to establish for us. We must march to our own band and let nobody rain on our parade.