Friday, March 31, 2017

Quality of life

 It is something you hear all the time. Quality of life. what is your quality of life, are you enjoying a good quality of life, your quality of life is being effected. Just what the heck are they talking about ? Happiness ? Is that what quality of life is all about ? Am I happy ? If that is the case why not just ask that question ? I had to fill out a form for the doctor, one of those questions is, rate your quality of life on a scale of one to ten, ten being the best. I had to scratch my head on that one. In order to rate something on a scale one has to know the standard. Wouldn't that standard be different for each one of us ? I know the pain scale certainly is. Some folks feel like they are dying when they cut their finger, and others rub it on their pants leg and keep on going. How can I measure my quality of life. I think my life is of the highest quality, at least that is the goal anyway. I'm certainly not going to admit to being a low-life ! But, I know that isn't what they mean. I think they want you to assess your own mental state. Do you feel like living or dying ? Isn't that the scale they are trying to use ?
 I do think all this talk about quality of life is a modern thing. It is a marketing device. You can increase your quality of life with certain products and services right ? All you have to do is listen to the commercials on television to learn that much. From little blue pills to scooters that give you back  your mobility there are products that improve your quality of life. How about a step in bath to avoid falls ? A stair lift can be purchased so you can stay in your home. All these products are aimed at improving your quality of life. That is the marketing strategy isn't it ? The not so subtle message being, if you can't do everything you did when you were a teenager, your quality of life is degraded. You need to be " out there. " The question is where is " out there. "
  The quality of your life is dependent upon the quality of your thoughts. What are good thoughts and what are bad thoughts ? They are measured against societal norms. What is society saying ? It appears our society has a lot to say about what is good and bad. That definition is changing everyday. Society today is always looking to place the blame somewhere other than on the individual. And when we fail to take personal responsibility for our actions our quality of life is degraded. That is why there is such a market for products to improve that quality. Call it co-dependence. When you start to measure your quality of life against the standards that society sets, you are bound to fall short. You are destined to failure simply by growing older. Wisdom is supposed to accompany age, that's the way it should work. There was an old television commercial for Chiffon margarine whose catch line was, it's not nice to fool mother nature. Funny but true. It really isn't nice to fool mother nature and not a very smart thing to attempt ! There really is a natural order to things.
 If asked to measure your quality of life what standard will you use ? I will just think about all that I have had, what I have now, and what I hope is to come. Things seem to be progressing just as they should. I've made good and bad choices. Thing is they have been my choices and that is where the quality lies. I won't be compared to you or anyone else. Hey, I believe I'm a high quality product. Nothing wrong with that. It has taken many years to get here, I'm satisfied so far. It's a work in process, living that is, and will continue until it's done. The quality of my life will be judged when it is finished and not before. That's my thinking anyway.

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