Multiple Choices

No one else can ever make your choices for you.

Your choices are yours alone.

They are as much a part of you

as every breath your will take,

every moment of your life.

 CHOICES

"100 Most Important Life Choices"

Dr. Shad Helmstetter

Life is constant change and with each change choice is made.  It is imperative that we make our choices and not allow some one else to do so.  Well meaning family or friends or bosses have important and valid input, but we get to make the choice, not them.  Remember there is lesson in every choice as this is how we learn.

We may think we have no choice in the matter which translates into we cannot make a different choice ... we are pressured or frightened or not yet prepared to take the educated risk.  If we make a personal choice, perhaps we will be cut out of the family will ... is that the lesson, to do without dependence on someone else's fortune?  The family may say when we follow our desire, we will be disowned ... is this a lesson in love?  A lover may tell you that no one else will ever love you as much as they do, but the little voice inside of you is screaming to leave ... is this about allowing people to have power over us?

There are so many parts to making a choice.  We educate ourselves by listening to others or observing life or taking note of history, but ultimately, the truth of a decision resides within. What other choices people make are simply alternatives to be considered.  It is frequently the build up to the moment of decision that stresses us out. The actual choice can feel liberating, right or wrong after the agony of deciding.  

Some choices are very easily made, while others are so much more challenging.  If the right choice is not obvious, then take more time to sort through what would be best for you.  When my children were younger, they used to rush in and interrupt whatever I was doing, wanting an immediate answer to their request.  Here is what I learned to say:

      

     "If you need an answer right now, it is no.

       If you give me some time to think, it still may be no,

       but there is a better chance for it to be yes."

In careers we are frequently backed into a wall where we feel like there really isn't much choice at all, but there is always choice.  The choices might not be the ones we want, but they are there.  Some choices are made simply to please others. Eventually we realize by saying yes, we may be making the other person's life easier, but ours much more difficult.  Once we start having better boundaries and making better decisions, we feel better and more capable.

Choices can be very impulsive and fun.  Others may be heart wrenching and nearly impossible.  Still others may be accidental.  Throughout the day, we make endless decisions ... when to get up, what to wear, what to eat, which road to take, who to call, how to prioritize or organize, and when to stop or go. The choices are endless.

Multiple choices, however, are all exercises in using your voice, empowering your spirit, and aligning your mind, body, and spirit.  Take a few moments and review your life and you will see the impact of your choices or lack thereof.