It's the ONLY thing that’s truly FAIR in this world
Paul White's nationally distributed syndicated column, “It's the ONLY thing that’s truly FAIR in this world,” is published in 22 publications across seven states. This includes the following newspapers and digital publications: Midland Daily News (MI), SFGate (CA), Seattle PI (WA), Connecticut Post (CT), Laredo Morning Times (TX), Huron Daily Tribune (MI), The Telegraph (IL), and more. In this week's article, Paul shares a thought process regarding fairness that will help you stop wasting valuable time on what's not fair and turn your focus to the only thing that's truly fair in this world.
In many of my speeches, I’ll toss a question out to the audience, asking them what’s fair in the world.
At first, they seem to struggle with the thought process of what I’m asking them. Slowly, the attempts to answer the question begin to flow ... and they are all incorrect.
Some say, “freedom of choice,” to which I’ll respond, “Try driving your vehicle at 60 mph in a 25 mph zone in front of law enforcement, and you’ll prove your choice wasn’t free.”
Throughout the years, people have peppered me with a wide variety of responses to what they think is fair, and I’ve given them an example that proves the unfairness of what they offer. As a society, we crave fairness in pretty much every area of our life. We want to live with the belief that at the basis of everything, fairness is present.
We all waste a lot of time in our life with the number of times we utter those fateful words, “That’s not fair.” You could pause from reading this for less than a minute and come up with 10 things you believe are NOT fair. Doing that would probably distract you enough that you would spend an additional hour proving how right you really are. Why? To show you’re an expert at raising your blood pressure, anger, anxiety, and frustration?
Accurately defining unfairness doesn’t help you nor anyone else ... unless ... you have an interest in finding a solution to the unfairness. Your involvement in a solution for a specific topic of unfairness is largely based on your personal history, knowledge of the subject, and skill sets that directly relate to the issue. It’s only there that you can reach an understanding of why something is unfair and how you may be able to be part of the solution should the unfairness have a powerful impact on your emotions.
Back to what IS fair. The only thing that’s truly fair in this world is the fact that every person on this earth is given 24 hours each and every day. No one receives 25, nor does anyone get short-changed with 23. Here’s the most powerful part of this thought process. If you live in the United States, you get to choose what to do with those 24 hours each day. Pause for just a minute and think about the diversity of choice that occurs on a daily basis. Wouldn’t you think that, as a group of intelligent human beings, there would be a specific pattern of choices that would bring joy and happiness and that we would all follow that pattern each day? I’m glad there isn’t because if we were all doing the same thing, our lives would be devoid of hope, gratitude, compassion, and many other emotions that define us as individuals.
The fact that we wake up each day with literally billions of available choices is wonderful…and fun. Each day provides hope that the choices we make will propel us forward with joy and a sense of accomplishment toward the destination we arrive at by the end of that day. The journey each day is defined by the choices we make that day.
I took a giant leap forward many years ago toward daily joy and happiness when I shifted away from defining success monetarily and realized that having control over the 24 hours I was given each day was the primary path to success in life. Being given the opportunity each morning to do what I wanted, when I wanted to do it, with the people I wanted to do it with, for as long as I wanted to do it, was the greatest benefit “money” could provide.
It was also the most powerful lesson I could pass on to our children. Determining how much money is enough to allow you complete control over your choices each day during the 24 hours we’re all gifted is a personal choice and varies widely. But you need to determine a number that defines enough and pursue that number on your quest for freedom of choice. Shifting what drives “how you’re defined” away from money and focusing on acquiring the ability to control your personal time each day is such a worthwhile goal.
That old saying, “Money can’t buy happiness,” is true.
Having the freedom to choose how you spend your time each day is the goal. Truly, the greatest gift of wealth isn’t how much money you have; it’s the ability to wake up each day and say that you can do whatever you want today.
Maybe that’s what our universities should be providing our young adults as a worthwhile foundation for their ambition.
Ponder what I’ve presented here. Utilize the information to chart a new path for your life. And remember, I Believe in You! GiddyUp!
In addition to being a nationally syndicated columnist, Paul White is an author, motivational and inspirational speaker, entrepreneur, podcaster, and life coach located in Midland, Michigan. He offers self-help and culture development to start your journey towards consistent growth and joy. If you’re interested in getting in touch with Paul, please submit an inquiry via our Contact Page.