About Choices...

I've been thinking a lot about choices lately. When you sit down and think about it, virtually everything we do comes from a choice. A choice we make, whether consciously or not, can determine the direction of our life. Pull out in front of a car quickly instead of waiting, can spur one off in a direction never thought possible and sometimes simply be the end of our path all together. That late afternoon coffee can keep us up all night. Everything is a choice and each of those choices have an impact on our lives, no matter how small.

Life gets more complicated as we grow older, add families and begin to lose the people we love. These complications add even more choices to an already complicated process. We begin to make choices for other people or because of other people and we learn about their choices and what they mean.

Watching my daughters find their places in life, making choices that may or may not be the best isn't always easy but I've come to realize for the most part, their choices are theirs and they won't learn from them if they don't make them. Of course there are situations where, as a parent, we must step in and stop a choice or correct one but for the most part, they're not going to learn if they don't deal with the consequences of their choices.

I watched my parents make choices that damaged their health and ultimately ended their lives. They knew what they were doing and chose to continue down that path.

I have no true control over what choices anyone makes. The only choices I can control, for the most part, are my own. Sometimes I have to make choices I don't like, for the sake of others or because it's simply the right thing to do. I could choose not to make those choices but it's all part of the process and sometimes it just simply is what it is.

I've spent a lot of time evaluating the choices I've made lately. Some were ones I didn't consciously make and some were made because of circumstances I couldn't control. What I had to realize about those choices is that while I did make them, consciously or not, I allowed them to continue, which in and of itself, is a choice.

I had to make a conscious choice if I wanted to continue along the path these choices directed me or if I wanted to find a new path by making a new choice. I've decided to make new choices. Some have been easier than others but they're mine. I own them, I made them and I'm going with the flow of them.

I'm not entirely sure what direction they're going to take me. Each choice has a ripple effect and requires even more choices but that's part of the fun of making conscious choices. I may do fine and I may stumble but if I do, I'll do it knowing I made a choice and have some form of control over what happens next.

I hope, as I continue down the path I'm choosing, I can positively impact those around me to make better, more informed choices, too.