Youth Clicks ‘Search’. Wisdom Clicks ‘Advanced Search’.

I once heard an analogy that compared a younger person’s train of thought to that of an older person. A half-drunk girl was rambling on and I’m not sure she even meant to make the point that she made, which I found fascinating in both its simplicity and how often many people overlook it in their lives.

She stated that when she was young, she was quite likely to make hasty decisions, often choosing the fastest or easiest path. However as she’s gotten older, she’s become pickier and pickier about her decisions. Her analogy, which I immediately loved and told her I was going to steal, was that “When you’re young, you click ‘search’. When you’re old, you click ‘advanced search’.”

I’ve found this to be true in my own life but only because I’ve made the conscious effort to challenge the given standards in society and to re-think what is acceptable and preferable for me.

Try this for yourself. Don’t just accept the first or easiest path you find. Think about life as one large ‘advanced search.’ What are the exact things that you want? Be specific, and be honest with yourself, and then go out and find them! With an ‘advanced search’ mentality (along with blocking any thoughts of the way it’s been) there is no reason you cannot control most aspects of your life that lead to happiness.