Election

 “Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

Every single day, we make millions of choices, consciously or unconsciously. Aware or unaware of the power contained in those choices, and the power we give away or wield when we make a choice. Everything we do, think, feel, and experience is a function of choice.

Sometimes, however, we find ourselves stuck in analysis paralysis. In this place, fear takes over, consumes us, and makes us unable to make clear, conscious, empowered choices. Confidence is replaced by a feeling of powerlessness.

We need to develop inner wisdom that enables us to confront our fears and make choices that align with our authentic selves. This can only happen as you learn to trust yourself and the choices you have made in the past. Small decisions have to be made with commitment and in line with one’s values.

Before I could commit to churning out 52 episodes of this blog a year, I had to have made other choices that confirmed to me that I am a person who can keep their word for a specified length of time. Also, once I made the decision to go ahead, I still have to choose to make time to write the weekly edition. It is not always an easy choice to make, especially on those weeks when my statistics for the previous episode don’t look as good as I’d want them to be. Those are the days I remind myself that my 52-episode-commitment was not a function of the readership statistics, but a function of my ability to show up to do what I gave my word to do.

And in every one of the decisions we make in life, we have a choice to either show up with integrity or listen to the dissenting voice in our heads that tells us it won’t matter whether or not we show up. Who do you listen to?

I brush my teeth daily because that is the healthy thing to do. You don’t have time to brush your teeth today – why don’t you just pop 2 mints and you’ll be fine? No one will notice.

Yes, I know I signed up to give 40 hours a week but who will notice if I take an extra 15 minutes for lunch break every day?

Your conscience knows. And you are either reinforcing what your conscience knows is right or numbing your conscience to what is wrong. At the end of the day, every choice we make makes or breaks us.

Choice is your power, wield it wisely.

“You are not the victim of the world, but rather the master of your own destiny. It is your choices and decisions that determine your destiny.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

“I won’t tell you that the world matters nothing, or the world’s voice, or the voice of society. They matter a good deal. They matter far too much. But there are moments when one has to choose between living one’s own life, fully, entirely, completely – or dragging out some false, shallow, degrading existence that the world in its hypocrisy demands. You have that moment now. Choose!” ~ Oscar Wilde

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