…is it my belief?  Have I consciously and intentionally thought it through and adopted an ideal.

Or…am I thoughtlessly perpetuating the belief system that I was raised with or adopted from a group of individuals that I associate with or have associated with in the past?

What do I believe?

These questions could (and do) apply to just about every aspect of my life.

Let’s just pick a simple (and non-controversial) topic.

A controversial topic got me started on this rabbit trail, but I’m not going “there” today.  In brief, I read something on facebook in a group I follow, and was moved to comment and take a stand.  I don’t normally do so, as computer-land can be a dangerous place for serious discussion.  I find that folks will quite often “say” things on the computer that they would never say in a face-to-face discussion.  Quite simply, with the human factor removed, they just get down-right rude and ugly.  That’s not conducive to intelligent discourse.

Anyway, back to simple.

I’ve quit looking at decorating magazines.  You know, those “Better Homes and Gardens” type periodicals.

I love them…at first.  Then, I start looking around at my little environment and dissatisfaction starts to set in.  If I had the sofa that’s in that photo…and that rug…maybe just some fresh paint?

I conveniently forget that it took a team of 15 creative consultants to stage that photo.  And that everything that made it a real life lived-in home is just out of view of the camera.  Nobody lives there.

I don’t live there.

I can’t have all that stuff laying around.  I don’t have a crew of 15 people decorating, organizing and dusting. I don’t have the financial resources to remodel, redecorate and accumulate.

What I do have is a home…an imperfect, sheltering home that I’m grateful for.

I’ve had to figure out what works for me and not try to live in someone’s else’s life.  I must constantly be aware of outside influences and stay true to myself.

I have to choose my own style and live in a way that fits with my belief system.  I have to define a set of “rules” that I live by.

Like I said –  my house is just an example.  Perhaps a metaphor.

This discussion could just as well be about politics, or religion, or life-style choices.

But that’s for you to decide .