Salad Days

What are those doing in here? I asked myself as I pushed around three cherry tomatoes at the bottom of my disposable plastic salad container. It’s not that I don’t like tomatoes. But over the years, I’ve learned that, as tasty as they look, most salad bar tomatoes are mushy and mealy. Yet there they were, in the salad I had made myself. Right next to a couple of pieces of raw cauliflower which I also don’t enjoy.

As I contemplated these rogue tomatoes, the metaphor hit me — sometimes I make choices in my life that are no different than the ones I make for my salad. The result is having things in my life I don’t like, and I have no one to blame but myself for putting them there. And I don’t think I am alone.

So, why do we do it? Why do we put things into our lives that we don’t like or enjoy? Perhaps it’s because we feel pressured to conform to societal or family expectations. Or maybe it’s because we’re afraid of missing out on something if we don’t seize every opportunity that comes our way. Or maybe we’re thinking that THIS time, the tomatoes will NOT be mushy and mealy. Whatever the reason, the result is the same: we end up with ingredients in our lives that don’t bring us joy or fulfillment.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Just as we have control over what goes into our salads, we also have control over what we put into our lives. We can choose to be more intentional about the people we surround ourselves with, the activities we engage in, and the experiences we pursue. We can learn to say no to the things that don’t serve us and yes to the things that bring us happiness and fulfillment.

Of course, this is easier said than done. It can be challenging to break free from the expectations of others or to let go of opportunities that seem promising but ultimately don’t align with our values or goals. But the key is to remember that our time and energy are finite resources, and it’s important to invest them wisely in the things that truly matter to us.

So, the next time you find yourself at life’s salad bar, take a moment to reflect on the choices you’re making. Are you selecting ingredients that you genuinely enjoy? Or are you selecting ingredients that are not just distasteful, but actually toxic?

Remember, life is too short to settle for a plate full of unwanted ingredients. Choose wisely, and hopefully, when all is said and done, there’s nothing left in your container.

David