Here's When I Don't Know Is The Stellar Answer.

If you own a private jet and you’re asked how much it costs to fly it, what would the right answer be?

$2000 per hour? $200,000 per year? Nope. The right answer is,?I don’t know.??

As my friend Steve retrieved his newspaper, his neighbor met him at the curb and asked,?How much is the newspaper subscription??Steve smirked and said,?I don’t know.

Another friend routinely dines on exotic foods and finer whiskeys. Recently, we sampled some very expensive vittles. When questioned about the expense, he pearled,?I don’t know.

Sometimes, questions about living life fully are answered by?I don’t know.

Mark, are you advocating ignorance? Hardly. What I have come to notice is worry compromises joy. Familiar bedfellows are finances and worry.??

If you’re worrying about the cost of flying your jet, you’re not fully enjoying it. Becoming engrossed in your newspaper is especially joyful when value is diametrically opposed to cost. Munching delicious fine dining delectables is more fun when you forget about the price.

If you want to stain any experience, add pondering about the price to it.??

To me, it’s worth it?must become your mantra whether you’re buying anything from yams to yachts. When you do, and you’re able to kiss away the price, the purest experience emerges. Upon sharing that experience,?I don’t know, becomes your confident response to cost questions. Seek that.

Recently I was the lucky recipient of a ticket to a Pink concert. Totally immersive and entertaining, and the event was spectacular. Later I found out the ticket was $500. Was it worth it, did the cost diminish the experience? Nope.

Accordingly, living your short life through the lens of joyful experiences should be your expectation. That doesn’t mean exotic trips, it means extracting the true value, not weighing the cost.

I take a lot of notes throughout the day, so I’m sort of picky about pens. A box of the ones I prefer costs around $16. But the price can vary a bit when I buy a box and I’m not exactly sure how many pens are in each box. But I’ll pay the going rate because they’re smooth and make writing easy. Because I like them, I happily report,?I don’t know?how much each costs.?

Yes, through the right lens maybe mundane pen purchases bring joy.

In thinking about a great movie or performance, it’s about the level of excellence, not the duration or cost. Contemplate your life in the same terms.

Do you want to account for your life with,?I was fully immersed in my experiences to maximize joy?or?worries shackled me from living my best life?

Mark Twain tantalizes, “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” Perfectly summed up, it’s all about perspective.

Our minds play tricks on us. Watching big white clouds floating by on a warm sunny day, we can see the beauty of nature or an impending storm. Our experiences and expectations lock in a particular perspective. But we do hold the key, and when we become aware we can unlock a better life.

A reflection.

Today we know of Sir Francis Drake as the first explorer to circumnavigate the world at Queen Elizabeth’s bequest. The expedition took 3 years, from 1577 to 1580, and upon his return to England he was awarded a knighthood in 1581 upon his galleon, the Golden Hind.

Who paid for 3 years of Drake’s adventures? His Letter of Marque did.

Between the 1500s and 1800s, a specific government license, a Letter of Marque, permitted a private person, known as a privateer or corsair, to attack and capture vessels of a nation at war with the issuer.??

Tensions between England and Spain were high as each sought to carve up the world, and beat the other in business and influence. With his Letter of Marque in hand, and squeezing every last drop from it, Drake thrashed the Spanish all over the globe, stealing and plundering their vessels and land holdings. So effective were his pursuits, that the Spanish branded him El Draque, “The Dragon” in old Spanish.

One set of eyes sees a brilliant naval strategist conquering foreign lands and dispatching the enemy, another set of eyes sees pirates. Right, perspective again.

Some interesting perspectives about pirates, maybe some surprises:

1. Earrings were not just a fashion accessory. Pirates stashed wads of wax in their earrings to prevent hearing loss since countless cannons going off while attacking could be deafening.
2. They carried burial insurance. A pair of gold or silver earrings could be melted down to pay for a proper land burial instead of burial at sea (tossed overboard).?
3. Gay marriage was popular. Since nearly all pirates were men, deeper affections, known as matelot, were recognized with shared property, sexual partnerships, and gold rings.
4. Eye patches didn’t cover lost eyes. Pirate attacks arose on ship decks in the sun as well as below deck in the dark. An eye patch preserved night vision, permitting a pirate to move from above to below decks swiftly without delay.?
5. A black Jolly Roger flag, festooned with skulls, was not the most feared. No, pirate ships flying the red Jolly Roger flag signaled no mercy would be given to enemies who engaged them.

Marcus Aurelius brilliantly observed,?our soul is dyed with the color of our thoughts. Perspective determines whether we survive or thrive. Contemplate that as you watch life’s clouds go by today to decide what you see.