The idea that there is a price to pay for everything can feel a little harsh and yet if we think about it, it’s true. Not necessarily in the sense of money but in the sense of consequences. Every choice we make, every plan we set in motion, every relationship we invest in sets off a series of causes and effects, or consequences.
We are seeing some unbelievably high prices being paid by people everywhere across the world – in many cases the price is loss of physical life. For many others it’s suffering, anxiety and fear. For sure very few of us would be happy with the price we are paying for the choices we have made as a collective humanity.
But what is too high? How do we assess that?
What if we took a wider view on our choices many of which may well be unconscious or based on habits – whether it be to feed the global consumer habit by buying just one more thing even when we don’t need it, feeding a capitalist machinery that has lost its useful value. Or focusing on our own well being without consideration for others.
Maybe we feel powerless to change the consequences we are seeing in our world today. Maybe putting our heads under the duvet and hoping ‘this too will pass’ is the best we can do. But lack of leadership also creates a price to pay. To compromise on high quality, greater good values when it becomes inconvenient for us really isn’t an option.
Every situation, every choice every opportunity in front of us however small or big, is filled with the chance to make the best of the situation, to act with grace and love, to examine how, where and when we can make a better choice – environmentally, relationally, financially, spiritually.
We can change the metrics on the price we are paying – we can build a better world with a very new economy. To reach better we have to change our consciousness and our choices.Surely that’s the real price worth paying.