The world is an interesting place. It’s filled with colorful, unique people, doing what they are here to do, among the people they are with, in many diverse locales, and at varying times, in different time zones. We all seem to be going about our lives in the ways we believe are best for us or, at least, acceptable for the moment.
There are evils in the world, and there is goodness in the world. There are nice people, and there are most disagreeable people. There is beauty and there is ugliness. There is the lofty, and there is the base. There is happiness, and there is sadness. There is war, and there is peace. There is love, and there is hate. There is abundance, and there is scarcity. There is unity, and there is division. There is freedom, and there is bondage. There is paradise, and there are slums. There are the rich, and there are the poor. There is light, and there is darkness. There are opportunities, and there is hopelessness.
With all the aforementioned being true, the question might arise, why is any of it of any importance? For me, the answer rests in our ability, or willingness, to consciously examine these comparative and contrasting ideas. We must, if we will, come clear on the matter of choice and the role it plays in the manner in which we experience our lives.
There are some questions we may need to satisfy for ourselves so that we might know, with certainty; the context of our lives is truly of our own making and/or choosing. Here are a few questions to get you started:
- Who am I?
- Am I the person I most want to be?
- Do I need the approval of others to feel good about myself?
- What do I really want out of life?
- Am I happy with where I am presently?
- Do I believe I’m worthy of the best life I could imagine?
- Do I live where I really want to live? If not, why am I here?
- Am I creating and allowing the value I believe myself to be?
- Do I treat others as I would hope to be treated at all times?
- Am I willing to hurt others to service my ambition?
- Am I free? If yes, do I value the freedoms of others as much as my own?
- Are my relationships healthy and fulfilling?
- Am I the type of friend and relative I expect others to be?
- Am I fair and just?
- Do I believe I must be a martyr?
- Am I honest with myself and others?
See, for many people life is a crap shoot every day. For many people life is just happening to them. There’s no real sense of power or authority over the who, what, why, where, and when of their lives. They feel stuck, hopeless, fearful, paralyzed, unsure, and indecisive. Many living this illusory reality exist in a constant state of blame and projection because they simply don’t want to have to take ownership or responsibility for the messiness of their lives.
You’ve heard the excuses, the justifications, and the alibis before; “It’s my parents fault.” “If I would have had this other person in my life I wouldn’t be in this mess.” “If my family wasn’t so crazy I’d be so much better off.” “If my spouse and children were more supportive I could be more productive.” “If people weren’t so nasty I could be nicer.” “If I could have gone to a better school I’d be more successful.” “If water wasn’t so wet, I’d learn how to swim.” Ok! You get the point.
Interestingly, the feelings we experience as a result of the challenges of our lives are meant to awaken a totally different response than what we frequently choose. Challenge and the hardness of life are meant to serve as beautiful revelations. To the alert and observant, these moments would inspire us to see the opportunity for change and growth. In each challenge lies great potential for something new, fresh, and different. It’s not the tragedies, losses, horrors, challenges, limitations, discouragements, or oppressions that relegate us to misery, being emotionally paralyzed, indecisive, or procrastinative; it’s how we choose to respond to them all that determines our outcomes and results.
Good and bad happens to us all in varying proportions and frequency, but they indeed happen to us all. No one is exempt from challenges. It is a part of the remarkable journey we call life. How dull and uninteresting life would be if we didn’t have some occasional provocation to become better than we’ve been, to dare to do more than we’ve dared to do before, to learn more than we deemed necessary previously. Challenge is the spice of life, and it happens to us all.
This is the beautiful revelation, so don’t miss this; in our responses, we get to choose how we’ll experience what has happened, and we simultaneously choose the seed we’ll sow to the harvests we’ll reap in the near or distant future. We have the power to choose!
We choose what is good or bad, and we choose what will be good or bad. We choose joy or sorrow. We choose justice or injustice. We choose equality or inequality. We choose peace or chaos. We choose love or hate. We choose abundance or scarcity. We choose our job, vocation or business. We choose to be cooperative or uncooperative. We choose where we live or we stay where we’ve always been. We choose our companions and relationships. We choose how we’ll raise our children and the examples we’ll live before them. We choose to free or bound. We have the power of choice!
Sure, things happen, and we are often drawn into the choices of others, but we always get to choose the context of our lives. Indeed, we’re always choosing the context of our lives.
So, today, if there’s something about you or your life that you find distasteful, disagreeable, undesirable, or unacceptable, then choose to change it. You don’t have to roll over and just take it on the chin. If it’s your boss or your job you don’t like, choose to change it. If it’s your financial state you don’t like, choose to change it. It’s up to you! And if you can’t change it, and there’s really absolutely nothing you can do about it, then there’s nothing you can do. So, don’t fret about what you can’t change.
However, the greatest realization we must come to in wielding this power of choice is that we can only choose to change what we truly have power over. The only thing we truly have power over is us. Therefore, as we perceive change is necessary it can only apply to us. It’s our attitude, outlook, emotional state, understanding, knowledge, and disposition that must be addressed. We are in need of the overhaul. For as we choose personal change we’ll come to see the entirety of our lives harmonize with that choice for change.
So, what do you choose today? I pray you will exercise your power of choice and that it will result in the most incredible life you could ever imagine. Life, your life, is yours for the choosing. You have the power of choice!
