Picking your battles is an act of conserving energy.

It's discernment and wisdom at play. It's an acknowledgment of our finitude.

These days, our conflicts aren’t on a battlefield. They're in our everyday lives — whether with others or within ourselves.

Our battles can be subtle — as simple as divvying up the check at dinner. When I was young, I would squabble over making sure I only paid for what I had eaten. I'd often avoid ordering much — and if someone asked to split the bill evenly, I advocated to only pay my part.

Back then, money was tight — it felt like a battle for survival. But how much money was I really saving? A few dollars, maybe ten or twenty here or there at best.

And what was the real cost of those savings? A bit of social tension—a quiet message that saving a few bucks mattered more to me than making things easy for everyone else.

Nowadays I approach things differently. I don't want to be an accountant at the dinner table. Most of the time I'm with friends — it's easier and more enjoyable to trust that sometimes I'll pay a bit more, and other times a bit less. It evens out. It’s never enough to put me in financial jeopardy.

This simple act is exercising a spirit of trust and goodwill. Fighting over a few dollars is an energy drain. Keeping tabs like a debt collector? That’s energy I’d rather spend enjoying the moment.

When I look back at life, I likely won't remember the few dollars I saved at dinner. But I'll remember the spirit of friendliness we created in our lives — keeping our focus on the good times, not the accounting, can help us cultivate more meaningful connections.

In the end, not every battle is worth fighting—and the ones we quietly walk away from often reveal the most about who we are becoming. Our energy is finite—not just physical, but emotional. Letting go is sometimes the best way to protect your peace.