Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

smallfarmgirl — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:19:16 GMT

Really had to chuckle, doc. Following the links gave me a whole lot more "choices" to make. I'm an infojunkie trying to stop the flow.

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

milli — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 15:54:38 GMT

I found this video to be "spot on." I'm one of the old-fashioned types mentioned in the presentation who chooses a cell phone by asking: "Do you have one that doesn't do too much?" (That was after owning my first cell phone for nine years.)

Ironically, I find that the Mercola newsletter itself adds to my Paradox of Choice. It gets delivered to my Inbox too frequently, and I'm not able to process all the information it gives me in every issue.

Naturally, I only click on the links that interest me the most, but I find this wealth of information about what I should be doing for my health adds to my health anxieties instead of helping to clarify my life.

I also don't have the pocketbook to constantly invest in all of these wonderful foods and supplements, though I did recently buy 3 bottles of Krill Oil based on the excellent information provided by Dr. Mercola.

I would find it more helpful to receive the newsletter once a week, and/or have fewer topics targeted.

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

norascats — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:16:50 GMT

Many of the "choices" we encounter are not really choices. We are confronted with a great redundancy of brands when we go to buy something.Why do we need a four foot by five foot array of different peanut butters. All I want is ground up peanuts and maybe a little salt.
I shop in the smallest supermarkets so I can get what I came in for and not be overwhelmed.
I miss the small stores in the City that sold one thing and the staff knew their merchandise.
Nora

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

Guy Jones — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:12:26 GMT

I Synchronistically came across these quotes that i think sum up the crux of this post.
' The ability to simplify ( Limited choices ) means to eliminate the uneccessary so that the neccesssary may speak'.
Hans Hoffman.

' Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone. Best for both the body and the mind'.
Albert Einstein

When we adopt a K.I.S.S. attitude (Keep it simple stupid) to our lives it becomes ever more apparant that this materiallistic age we live in is more distraction and confusion in an ever increasing world of distraction and confusion. I believe that this was purposefully engineered to keep all of us good little consumers from looking at our lives and our selves honestly and realising that we dont need more 'stuff' what we really need is more 'love, peace and joy' in the world.

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

halcyon — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 22:22:11 GMT

Bravo. This is one of the best bits of advice Mercola has posted. In fact, I'm going to start by deciding not to read everything in each of Mercola's newsletters, because it's just too much. :)

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

Jonathan B — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 18:17:23 GMT

Actually, the key to happiness is not in limiting choices, but focusing on altruistic choices, and ignoring self-focused and narcissistic choices.

It has been one of the most puzzling truths that I have discovered.

When I think about making my friends and family happy, and doing things for them, and giving to them, and enjoying what they give to me, I feel bliss, happiness, and a sense of connectedness to the world.

Interaction with people grounds me, and gives me a feeling of
purpose I do not get when I am acting in my life to make myself happy, and seeking pleasure in material things.

I have owned valuable things, nice cars, and great clothes, and I have gone on great vacations, wonderful adventures, and interesting educational experiences, and still felt disconnected, discontented and a bit bored.

I think Solomon must have been expressing this feeling when he wrote the biblical phrase, "All is vanity and vexation of spirit."

He was one of the greatest rulers of his day;
owned more wealth than any can imagine;
mastered science, art, culture and religion;
and built things on a scale that would amaze the rulers of today,
but he was gripped with boredom, frustration, and ennui.

Today, I have little money, no prospects, no romance, and very iffy health, but I am more happy, contented, and joyous than at any other time in my life.

I find that my time is filled with helping my parents, my sister and her family, my fellow volunteers of a local film festival, my acting friends in community theater who I work with, and the charities I care about.

It seems the less I think about myself, and the more I can connect with and help others, the better my life works, and the more contentment that I feel. At times, I just sit in my garden and marvel at the beauty around me, and the sheer glory of creation.

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

trustedfriend88 — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 17:18:20 GMT

Fascinating comments from so many different types of people who express themselves so well. Kudos to you all

I feel problems with choices have much to do with your personality and your own life experiences. Some of us just long for a more peaceful type of living. And to me that includes "simplifying your life". "Is happiness in limited choices"? For many people it is.

Some of us are the shakers and the movers that are right "out there" and getting things done - making it happen. We want choices and lots of them. We have no problems making decisions and we don't "agonize" over which brand of salad dressing to buy.

My experience gained after 56 years on this earth is that with big decisions I will feel a peace if my decision is right that I will not feel if it is not. That is what allows me to move forward and not look back and wonder if the decision was correct. Yes, I do pray and that is where the peace comes from.

As far as small decisions or choices, if it influences my health I take the time needed (because it's in my best interest) to search out the BEST. Thank you Dr. Mercola for making this much easier!

Happy day to you all!

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

oldbat — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 16:27:34 GMT

just KISS away.

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

Ber — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 15:08:21 GMT

One of the topics in this was the lack of satisfaction when a choice is made. This is an under current that can be stopped by accepting our choices once made. I may choose to eat only Kosher and Organic and then be depressed because of the limit and long for what I cannot have or I can leave it behind. Acknowledge that I made the best choice available and STOP thinking about it beyond that.

Another undercurrent not mentioned is how this idea of 'choice' has effected the family. The vision of the perfect spouse, the perfect children, there is someone better out there or soon just genetically engineer your children. Talk about an unlimited palate or madness, call it what you like.

Why not for the children if it causes both to seek a common good? You must train your child to read at 3 and then choose the 'best' college or you will ruin his life? Really? Is the grass really greener in the other bed or home or is this just ... more false advertising?

I read or saw an article not to long ago that listed Denmark as the happies nation in the world. Why? Because they begin life with low expectations and then everything is seen as a gift. This is the opposite of raising our children's expectation so high they topple off the platform at 6.

The key as always is balance and a realistic look at ourselves, others, and life. Make wise choices and then move on.

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

peggysue777 — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:48:28 GMT

This article really hits home with me! I am the one in my family that keeps saying I am "product overwhelmed". This started really bothering me a few years ago, Could be my age (58) but I am at the point in my life where I just think all this is unnessary. I want to stay living in a Trailer that we own, and my husband is remodeling a house we also own, so then our payments are going to skyrocket, where I am just happy where we are. And if anyone out there could argue with me, just where in the Bible does it talk about being rich? It doesn't, it only talks about being humble. Again, I think we are being tested by God. Man started out with very little, now look around, their are things everywhere, and most people just want more and more. It's just wrong in my book.

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

Guy Jones — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:11:17 GMT

As a former British soldier i can testify that when all you have to worry about is getting enough to eat and drink and squeezing in enough sleep to be able to function and of course not getting killed or maimed, that life starts to be really simple and there is a great joy in the simple life. Some of the best times in my life were'nt sitting on a beach, but taking incoming small arms fire with my best buddies. Or just sitting in ambush on a jungle trail, priceless!!!

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

Sophia — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 11:15:48 GMT

After living overseas, then returning to the States, I found shopping to be a bit overwhelming. The array of choices we have in the US is quite amazing....and sometimes dizzying.

I'm glad we have the freedom and opportunity it takes to get these choices on the market.

Think about it. Would you really like to be in a situation where you have one choice? Or perhaps no choice?

Choose wisely. Don't let a little vertigo get you down!!

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

Antoinetta_Ferrari — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 06:54:39 GMT

It depends on how you use choice. I think that in pharmaceuticals (sp??) there is just way too much, and those who pay attention to the media just get confused by all these different advertisements bombarding them. It's exhausting. Why not turn the TV off and take advantage of all the other choices that are beneficial to your life?

Having lots of choices can be very healthy. In food, we can choose so many different cuisines, spices, fruits, vegetables, meats, methods of cooking. It's wonderful! As far as our bodies are concerned we have so many choices as to how we want to exercise... walking, dancing, climbing, you name it. In life I have quite a variety of hats I wear... I'm a translator, tango dancer, belly dancer, (almost) dual citizen, gypsy soul, speak three languages... it goes on and on. And one of my secrets to feeling so fulfilled and having time for all of this is that I don't watch TV or read mainstream magazines (chock full of pharm ads). A former supervisor once told me, "You're not boring." Maybe I can't take it with me, but I will surely be remembered by those I love.

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

6catsinresidence — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 06:13:53 GMT

A few years ago I purchased a house and wanted to add safety locks on the windows. I went to a fairly new store that catered only to home safety. I was faced with many, many options. I suddenly felt overwhelmed and angry. I told them that I wanted them to be familiar with the products on the market and to offer the most recommended in their opinion and not offer every possibility in existence. I told them that I felt most of us are time constrained, information overloaded and their best service would be to make these choices easier. I ended up leaving because I was too stressed to make a decision. Overload, overload, overload. Since then I have tried to simplify even more. Until that experience I had no idea that I was that close to the breaking point over such a thing as too many choices.

re: Increase Your Happiness by Limiting Choices!

annapaloma — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 05:53:08 GMT

Knowing what you want simplifies all this, but it is hard to know what you want when manufacturers and sellers are always telling you what you should want, and why your life would be better if you had it. Recently, I made a decision to eliminate commercial cleaning supplies and replace them with baking soda, borax, vinegar and a pure soap (sans triclosan). Now, I do not worry about what cleaning products to purchase, I just make up my combos depending upon what needs washing or cleaning. I have decided to grow most of my own food, buy the rest locally from small conscientious producers. When I took a healthier, more environmentally responsible focus, I was able to eliminate many of the hooks that drew me in. Just a simple start, but, my experience is now less crowded.