When it comes to making tough decisions in life it’s quite often we hear the analogy of walking through a door. I like it. It’s great imagery. There is an entrance and a boundary you must pass in order to get to the “other side”. It’s measurable and it’s clear.

But I liken making tough decisions is more like cultivating plants in a garden. It’s not so linear as going from A to B, it’s much more like hopping from one end to the next in a larger ecosystem. You never make just one decision. You’re making several decisions at the same time. If I decide to water this plant. I’m deciding not to water another plant. If I put this plant in the sun, I must cast a shadow on another.

This used to give me a lot of anxiety. Because I only have so much “Water” and “Sunlight” to give. Then again, by viewing life more like the cultivation of a garden versus walking through a singular line of doors, I remind myself that things don’t ever get completely abandoned and left to wither and die. They just do not receive the same love, care, and attention at any given point in time. But that’s okay. That doesn’t mean I can’t focus. In fact, what benefits one benefits all, because you know, roots and stuff. Lol. I couldn’t think of a better ending.

by Jason Lam