This blog is all about the pursuit of what you want versus what you need. It’s about the chase of your desires versus what you really need that could improve your life. It is my belief that a large portion of our life’s regrets are built on this chasing oranges when you need apples policy, and it distracts from our ultimate mission of living unconquered.
First and foremost, know what oranges in your life are. They can vary from person to person depending on your circumstances, situations, etc. Something that is an “orange” for someone could be an “apple” for another person. Oranges
The saying an apple a day keeps the doctor away is very true in this concepts. The apples in my concept aren’t the fruits a lot of us like, but these “apples” in life are those foundation things in your life that promote success, happiness, and long term stability. Honesty, hard work, dedication, loyalty, fidelity, and discipline just to name a few.
We’ve all been there. I can speak from my college days, when like most of us, you had to spend wisely but often times didn’t. Do I blow my money on school supplies, or do I prepare for a big party weekend? A new shirt, new kicks, and if you know me – a new bottle of cologne because no amount is never enough, not to mention the array of college party supplies (I’ll leave it at that). More often than not, that big party weekend won out. That was me putting a Thursday – Saturday weekend over a couple month long semester. I chased an orange (temporary satisfaction) versus buying into an apple (long term investment).
We’ve all been there. I can speak from my college days, when like most of us, you had to spend wisely but often times didn’t. Do I blow my money on school supplies, or do I prepare for a big party weekend? A new shirt, new kicks, and if you know me – a new bottle of cologne because no amount is never enough, not to mention the array of college party supplies (I’ll leave it at that). More often than not, that big party weekend won out. That was me putting a Thursday – Saturday weekend over a couple month long semester. I chased an orange (temporary satisfaction) versus buying into an apple (long term investment).
It’s the putting your wants before your needs. We all want a nice new Mercedes-Benz, a trillion dollar house, a high and fly wardrobe – but at what costs? To be in debt up to our eye sockets? This same theory in a way explains the state of America
This theory also applies for those who lose sight of what is better for them. We all get off track on certain things in our life at one point or another. It can be in our careers, our goals, our relationships, our families, and our friends. Instead of being content with the apple in front of us (in any of these situations), an orange can come along and derail everything. No matter what circumstance, don’t feel like you’re settling. Appreciate what is in front of you; be content and don’t overreach. As most of us find out – the grass is never greener on the other side, and in the event it is, it needs ten times the care to keep it that way.
To expand on the paragraph above – I’ll give a personal reference. I start to feel stagnant in any job after about six months (which would explain why I’m 25 and had more jobs than some will have their entire life). I get tired of the same old type of apple after that time, and of course, a more appetizing orange will rear its head. When I was younger, I would take the bait every single time, and sometimes end up in a job I didn’t particular like or a job that was great but didn’t give me any opportunity to grow. Sometimes, that “orange” would be a higher salary and me thinking, “oh yes the grass is a lot better over there than here…” – which is never truly the case. I’ve always worked with great people, and more often than not under a great boss - and sometimes chasing an orange damaged bridges and work relationships.
This is not to say we should never fall to this concept, because honestly a lot of those chasing oranges moments I had prove to be excellent learning opportunities. I always say you learn the most in life from your mistakes, and errors like this often give you the opportunity to correct flaws with you/ your life. Moreover, you don’t ever want to find yourself in a circumstance where the damage from chasing that ripe, acidic orange outweighs the lesson(s) in life you took from the mistake. Stay focused on what is important, what helps your life in a positive manner in the long term, and don’t fall prey to short term fixes/ desires/ wants. Analyze every situation presented to you, and always be aware of your environment so you can make educated decisions. Keep your gaze on your goals and projects; the positive and life-constructing realistic ones – not those wild and crazy half bait ones!
Not too long ago my grandmother and I – the ever wise Eunice Oracle as I like to call her, discussed this same theory as it relates to getting lost off your journey in life. Visualize it’s sweltering outside, and over the hill lies your grove of apple trees. Though it’s been a hot miserable summer, they’re loaded down to the ground. As you wander along your path in life, just before getting to the steep climb of the hill to your grove, you come across a patch of ripened orange trees. What would you do? Keep moving up the steep hike to that what is yours? Do you put in hard work to do what’s right, or drop everything to take a shortcut and succumb to the oranges that aren’t yours?
To expand on the paragraph above – I’ll give a personal reference. I start to feel stagnant in any job after about six months (which would explain why I’m 25 and had more jobs than some will have their entire life). I get tired of the same old type of apple after that time, and of course, a more appetizing orange will rear its head. When I was younger, I would take the bait every single time, and sometimes end up in a job I didn’t particular like or a job that was great but didn’t give me any opportunity to grow. Sometimes, that “orange” would be a higher salary and me thinking, “oh yes the grass is a lot better over there than here…” – which is never truly the case. I’ve always worked with great people, and more often than not under a great boss - and sometimes chasing an orange damaged bridges and work relationships.
This is not to say we should never fall to this concept, because honestly a lot of those chasing oranges moments I had prove to be excellent learning opportunities. I always say you learn the most in life from your mistakes, and errors like this often give you the opportunity to correct flaws with you/ your life. Moreover, you don’t ever want to find yourself in a circumstance where the damage from chasing that ripe, acidic orange outweighs the lesson(s) in life you took from the mistake. Stay focused on what is important, what helps your life in a positive manner in the long term, and don’t fall prey to short term fixes/ desires/ wants. Analyze every situation presented to you, and always be aware of your environment so you can make educated decisions. Keep your gaze on your goals and projects; the positive and life-constructing realistic ones – not those wild and crazy half bait ones!
Not too long ago my grandmother and I – the ever wise Eunice Oracle as I like to call her, discussed this same theory as it relates to getting lost off your journey in life. Visualize it’s sweltering outside, and over the hill lies your grove of apple trees. Though it’s been a hot miserable summer, they’re loaded down to the ground. As you wander along your path in life, just before getting to the steep climb of the hill to your grove, you come across a patch of ripened orange trees. What would you do? Keep moving up the steep hike to that what is yours? Do you put in hard work to do what’s right, or drop everything to take a shortcut and succumb to the oranges that aren’t yours?
Doesn’t that sound like situations we face all the time? The scene or the circumstance might vary, but most of the time it all boils down to doing what is right against doing what is wrong but will bring us a short-lived boost in satisfaction. Always plan for your long-term well being. Don’t take shortcuts, don’t succumb to dishonesty or unjust ways of thinking. It might be painful in the short-term or you may have to work a little harder, but that hard work for tomorrow can reduce a lifetime of regret down the road. Even in the times when oranges are numerous and apples are few – keep your eyes fixated on the right side of your journey.
To truly live unconquered, you always want to be in control of your life, and not have it vulnerable to outside forces that you can’t control (that can cause things to unravel quickly and you unable to stop them). One way to maintain control is to not fall for those oranges; when they appear be content with your bedrock diet of apples instead.
Until the next time, may your crops of apples be plentiful.
J. Junior II
March 4th, 2012
March 4th, 2012
