You are going to pay

On a December day in Chicago I went to dinner with a group to celebrate a friend's birthday. Shortly after we were seated, we each reviewed the menu and chatted among ourselves. We laughed about the latest mishaps and we congratulated each other on successes. As our eyes scanned the menu we discussed different options. A guest of the group expressed that she was leaning towards ordering the duck special but it did not come with side dishes that she wanted. She had the option to order a duck dinner. The duck dinner cost more but it provided the option to select the preferred side dishes. The guest asked the group if we thought that she should order the special or the dinner. After the group gave their different opinions, I asked her "How do you prefer to pay?". I informed the group that she had the option to pay more for what she actually wanted or she could pay less and have something that she did not want. She took a moment to think and she realized that although the special cost less, paying for sides that she did not want was an expense that she did not want to pay.

On a windy autumn day, after I completed a virtual session I had my mind set to go skating with my children. As we were preparing to exit our home, a strong gust of wind caused the fence in my yard to break. I was confident that I could repair the fence. I gathered my tools and headed to the back yard. I assessed the damage and realized that the repair would take quite some time and energy. I concluded that although I would have saved money by making the repair myself, I would have paid in my labor and time. I decided to call a fence repair company instead. By paying out of pocket I saved my energy and my time.

Sometimes in life it looks like there may be a shortcut to completing a task. It may appear that something is cheaper or easier. Socially, we are accustomed to believing that money is the only form of payment. A few payments to consider include time, rest, labor, distance, and potential satisfaction. It can be helpful to first consider the expense of a matter. Afterwards acknowledge that a payment may be required. Then take a moment to check in with yourself about how you prefer to pay. The idea is not that one payment is better than the other but that we want to make mindful payments.