With all due respect to the state of Texas, bigger isn’t always better.  I was at a music festival this past weekend and couldn’t help but think about it.  I go to a LOT of music festivals of assorted sizes.  The biggest one I attended this year cost me the most money and was absolutely the least fun.  This weekend’s fest was one of the smallest and one of my best experiences of the summer.  Sure….big has its advantages.  In the case of a music festival it brings you a killer lineup of nationally known artists.  But it also brings you a giant venue to hike around, high ticket prices, high vending prices, and difficult security.  A big fest is a lot of work (and money) to have a good time.  The small fest I just attended, however, was very peaceful.  The bands were mostly from Pennsylvania, but very talented.  My camp was only about 150 yards from the stage, so it was quick and easy to go back for food and beverage supplies.  And many of the performers spent the weekend hanging out in the crowd, listening to the music with the rest of us.  It was just really fun.  Bigger isn’t always better.

The bigger isn’t always better theory applies to so many things in life.  A warehouse club container of fresh veggies doesn’t do you any good if they spoil before you can eat them.  The 36-pack of toilet paper may cost less per roll, but what good is that if you have no place to store it?  A gallon of milk isn’t a bargain if you only consume a quart a week.  A giant pickup truck may seem like a good choice…until you have to fill the gas tank.  A huge house with vaulted ceilings seems lovely…until you have to pay the bill to heat it in January (or cool it in July).  A forty pound bag of dog food might come with a great price, but doesn’t help you if you are not able to lift it without help.

Many times we are conditioned to think that bigger is better.  But it is important to think about your own reality to decide whether that is actually the case.