Jungle,
Excellent words. I don't think you are speaking of compromising personal values here, but of adapting to reality as you face the daily decisions of life. I believe the name for that "internal fitting" and adaptation is the process leading to maturity.

We have some control over the circumstances of our lives, and how events play out. But we have total control over our minds, and how we choose to thnk about how our life plays out - how we react to those events.


Sometimes that reaction to events will be to change course, because we've learned something about ourselves and/or reality in the process. Or the reaction might be a steeled mind and renewed effort because we still perceive the goal as worthy of our best efforts. Depending on the individual, either path could be a proper course...whether Real Estate or Right Seat.

Since I have Pirsig open, here's a few more "Zen and the Art" quotes. I think he paraphrases your posts well:

“The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself...
...The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there...
...“Is it hard?'"
"Not if you have the right attitudes. Its having the right attitudes that's hard".”
― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values

Cheers,
Fluglehrer