When the Best is Not the Best

Everyone has an agenda. Everybody is trying to accomplish something. Most everybody is trying to sell you something. Even people who wish the very best for you, still have their own best interests at heart, so their advice to you might not truly be your “best” advice. With all the mixed messages and tainted counsel floating around, how do you really know what’s BEST for you?

We are the products of a lifetime of being programmed that the best is… well, THE BEST! Strive for the best! Accept nothing but the best! You deserve the best! But what is “the best?” Especially in tough economic times like these, we might want to reconsider the whole concept. Otherwise we are likely to find ourselves feeling of failure because we were unable to achieve those misguided ideas of what is “best” for us.

Price and quality. Keeping the kitchen stocked is a challenge right now for even the most stable families. Is there any bigger failure than not being able to provide food for your family? I remember there used to be a commercial for JIF peanut butter on TV when I was a kid. There was a mom saying that her kids are too precious to scrimp on and they only get the best, that’s why she only gives them JIF. They programmed that into me at that early age so that all through my life I thought I was neglecting my body to buy a different peanut butter. As a new mom it never crossed my mind to do so. As finances became tighter, it DID cross my mind, but for reasons unrealized to me at the time, I would not let myself buy anything other than JIF. I was experimenting with generic brands and changing our menus, but I was hell bent on sticking with JIF peanut butter. Then one day I was at Gordon’s bulk foods and they had this monster big jar of peanut butter for the same price as a regular jar of JIF. So we weren’t just talking about the few cents difference I’ve seen at the grocery store. It was like a cool splash of water in my face. I woke up from Jif’s genius marketing brainwash and I bought the Gordon’s peanut butter. Everyone loves it. Fraction of the price and I have to buy less frequently. It is a no brainer to me that THAT is the BEST choice for me.

Cheaper is not always better . JIF is just my example. It might not be YOUR best peanut butter. But it is worth checking out. It is worth the time to try some new brands and products. A few cents or a few dollars might not be worth a change to you if you feel you are sacrificing taste or quality. But SEVERAL dollars off a grocery bill would be welcome, I’m sure. FYI Kroger lets you return Kroger brand products if you try them and don’t like them. So there is no financial risk.

THE BEST by definition. THE BEST DIET PILLS are only the best diet pills if you can access it. Adipex might kill your appetite the best of all, but good luck getting it. You can get Stackers over the counter at a lower cost without the headache of a doctor’s appointment. You might not lost weight as fast, but you will see results. As opposed to “no results” from Adipex because you can’t get it. A COLLEGE EDUCATION is not necessarily your “best” course of action for the future if you can’t afford one. College tuition is skyrocketing despite the fact that families are struggling. THE BEST SCHOOL DISTRICT is not the best district for you if politics and cliques over shadow your child’s education. THE BEST is only the best if provides optimum results FOR YOU in YOUR situation, under YOUR circumstances.

The point is, we are all different. Our tastes, desires, passions, opportunities, talents, skills, goals, preferences, and so on… all unique. So for a choice, a brand, a store, a restaurant…. for ANYTHING to claim title of “the best” is ridiculous. What’s more ridiculous is for us to believe it. No body or no thing can claim to be “the best” for me. Only through trial and error, experience, and effort can I make that decision. That’s the best advice I can give.