The single most powerful word in the English language is CHOICE. It is the one thing in this world that you totally control. We may not be able to control what occurs, when it occurred, or how an event may occur, but we ALWAYS have the power to CHOOSE how we react to the event or occurrence. We are all empowered to understand it is not what is going on around us that controls our lives, but more importantly, the CHOICES we make to address what is going on around us.
I want you to think about a decision you made and how that decision impacted your life. Now, that you have had an opportunity to live and travel the course of that decision, ask yourself IF I had made a different decision, or handled the circumstance differently and made a different CHOICE, would my life be better or worse off.
Too often we choose to complain about the events of a situation rather than making the choice to address the situation. You must understand it is so much easier to complain about the events than to challenge yourself to address them. You see, challenging yourself to address them requires ACTION. Complaining about the event requires little thought, little effort and ZERO action. You must recognize the CHOICES you make changes the life you live.
You are overweight and hate being tired? THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
You don’t like your job? THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
You don’t want to listen to me anymore? THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
Author, photographer, and mentor Zero Dean asserted, “If you have the power to change something that is holding you back and you don’t, that is a CHOICE not a limitation.”
Remember, ANYTHING in life you don’t like, you have the power to change. When you change your perspective, you will change your outcome.
Ask yourself… have you ever felt you had a good idea and you listened to someone else because you doubt the power of your choice. We all have and sometimes you realize after the fact and say I SHOULD HAVE…
It is your life and you must live with the choices you make. It is imperative that you understand POOR CHOICES paralyze growth and GOOD CHOICES lead to positivity, productivity and VALUE.
There are a few things you can and should do prior to making a choice:
INSTINCT… there are 3 internal communicative devices.
a. The heart – emotions – The heart allows you to get emotionally involved in the decision-making process. At times, that might be necessary but often can limit the desired outcome.
b. The brain – over thinking – When you think too long, you often risk losing the opportunity. Imagine you are taking a timed test and you constantly overthink an answer. Then you realize time has elapsed and you have not completed the requirements.
c. The GUT – The reality of what we feel - This is that inner spiritual gauge within that
only GOD provides. This is the spiritual connection between perception and reality.
2. EDUCATE YOURSELF – In John Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of leadership, Law #1, The law of the Lid, explains the individual’s level of awareness and ability will determine their level of effectiveness. If you want to make good choices, educate yourself on the topic, the alternatives and outcome.
3. VALUES – Remember, the power of choice is yours, so when you are faced with a decision warranting you to make a choice, make the choice solely based on your core values. You will be the one who must live with the choice, so if you make a choice that places you in conflict with your core values, you will double the negativity of the situation.
4. PERSPECTIVE – Examine the possible choice or choices and keep the needed perspective while viewing from every possible vantage point. Take the necessary time to combine steps and examine your instincts. How does your instinct align with the information and does it all coincide with your core values? Once you have drawn a conclusion, you are now prepared to make a choice.
5. OWN IT – It is YOUR life, YOUR decision, YOUR CHOICE. Trust yourself that you are equipped and your ability to make a CHOICE will yield value. Grace Jones once said “Everyone has to make their own decisions. I still believe in that. You just have to be able to ACCEPT the consequences without complaining.”
If you want to change your life, your relationship, your employment, or whatever area that requires new choices are made, do so! The caveat is you MUST BE INTENTIONAL, DEDICATED, and most importantly, CONSCIOUS. You must be more aware and more conscious in your decision-making if your goal is to improve your circumstances. The Law of Attraction tells us what we focus on will come to fruition. So, if you focus on your negative circumstances, you will continue to make more negative choices. If you focus on positive results, you will make choices to yield more positive results.