And we’re so happy we have our dog Barnaby! That wouldn’t be true for everyone, certainly. But when I thought, “Choose the bigger life,” I realized that the bigger life for my family was to get a dog. The pros and cons list felt equally balanced. My daughters desperately wanted a dog, but I kept thinking about the commitment, inconvenience, errands, and all the downsides. When I’m trying to make a tough choice, I say to myself, “ Choose the bigger life.” In a particular situation, people would make different decisions about what the “bigger life” would be, but when I ask myself that question, it always helps me see the right answer, for myself.įor instance, as a family, we were trying to decide whether to get a dog. I can’t give advice to a particular person, but here are some mantras and questions I use when I’m facing a difficult decision in my own life. People often write me emails to explain their situations and ask for my thoughts. To decide between apples and oranges, to weigh pros and cons, to think about what we will need and want in the future, to understand our real values…it’s tough. One common happiness stumbling block is the need to make a tough decision.
