There's an old truism about "picking the low-hanging fruit" as a way to get the most out of something, easily and quickly.
Without a doubt, that's often true, and I expect most people's lives are somewhat influenced by that particular approach. We tend to reach for the easy way out, either because we are too busy to "take the time," or perhaps because we are just plain lazy.
That High-hanging Fruit...
As a bit of a follow-up to my post from last night, I got to thinking about how picking the HIGH hanging fruit — as in reaching for the harder to get to objectives — can sometimes be the best approach to take.
For starters, you're probably not going to have a lot of competition because... well, why bother? That's too much work! And that has always suited me quite well, because I'm not big into competition, and I seldom excel when pushed and feeling under pressure. And I'd rather be off the beaten path!
The other thing is, there's often "undiscovered treasure" in the fringes... because they are not well-travelled. In the case of our actual fruit trees, the largely inaccessible fruit at the top is often sweeter because it gets more unobstructed sun. And that's not a bad metaphor.
Many Aspects of Our Lives
I was thinking about it, this morning, as I was painstakingly peeling very thin layers of 160-year old envelope paper from the back of a 165-year old stamp, using various degrees of hot and tepid water to gradually break down the horsehide glue that was on the back of stamps to affix them to letters in the mid-1800s. We take a lot for granted when we simply "peel and stick" a postage stamp to put on a birthday card, in 2022!
Anyway, the point being that "restoring" and "saving" things that otherwise would be destined for the "10-cent junk box" can be exceptionally rewarding. But you have to be willing to do that extra work, in order to reap the rewards.
And I'm not just talking about old collectible postage stamps here, I'm talking about many aspects of our lives, from carefully digging out delicate plants being strangled by weeds, to cleaning and restoring an old painting at a flea market, even to our relationships with people.
"Being Bothered," Redux...
Perhaps the notion of being bothered with the harder-to-reach high-hanging fruit is partly related to a sense of nurturing; of bringing to life something that seems to have struggled, rather than had it easy.
In my own case, it may also be the result of having often worked with the "tailings" of existence, rather than the main events. I've always been drawn to the challenge of extracting gold nuggets from the "rubble" of life.
And now... I'm going to head back to my "nugget hunting!"
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great remainder of your Sunday!
How about YOU? Do you tend to reach for "easy first," or do you prefer the challenge of the "high hanging fruit?" Do you think humans are predisposed to reaching for "the easy way out?" Why do you think some of us DON'T? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!
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Created at 20220403 14:37 PDT
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