The Power of Choice

By Janet Christensen

I frequently encounter people who are on a quest to figure out their purpose in life. On a fundamental level, your purpose in life is to breathe and everything else is a choice. Once you acknowledge that, you can begin to fully appreciate the power of choice.

Sometimes you may think that you have no choices but in reality, this is not so. Even in dire situations you have a choice. It could be to act, or not to act, which are both choices. You may not always like your choices or options, and the best one may be a “no-brainer,” however, you always have choices.

You choose your values, thoughts, actions, attitudes, words, friends, who you associate with, how you spend your time. Even the things you may think are obligations in life are choices, such as getting up in the morning, feeding your children, going to work, paying your rent, stopping at a stop sign. These may seem obvious, yet they are not givens – they are all choices. They are based on the values you hold and the norms that society dictates. You make choices day-by-day and minute-by-minute, perhaps by default and on autopilot…not being fully aware that they are choices. How many times to do you say “I have got to do this or that?” While you may feel a sense of duty or obligation, these things are still choices.

If you find yourself weighed down by the “shoulds” and obligations in life, consider changing your wording. Instead of thinking and/or saying “I've got to do this,” say “I choose to do this,” which has a completely different energy to it. Sometimes you may find it difficult to choose because choosing means giving something up. This can paralyze you into not making a decision, not wanting to choose. You second guess yourself with doubt: “What if I make the wrong choice? What if I make the wrong decision?”

Consider approaching decision-making differently by seeing your options as a choice of Box A, Box B, or Box C each with its opportunities and experiences. Make the best decision with the information you have and commit. Don't second guess yourself and miss the opportunities and gifts that are in the box you choose by wondering what you may be missing by not choosing one of the other boxes.

Remember, every situation or circumstance is a learning opportunity, an opportunity to practice your values and this is where you find the gift. Choose to find the gift where you are, instead of focusing on what you might be missing by not being somewhere else. Life is all about choice.

You choose how to think, how to act, your attitudes, and your feelings. You choose your goals and then you choose whether or not to commit to those goals. And then, once you have committed, you make choices every day that move you closer or away from what you want to create.

Every situation, challenge, opportunity, and decision presents you with choice. Sometimes those choices seem obvious and easy; sometimes they seem confusing and difficult. Whatever choice you make has consequences and either adds to your personal power or diminishes your personal power. So, make your choices consciously.

This can seem like a daunting task, especially when a great deal depends on the choices you make. Here are three questions I invite you to ask yourself when you are faced with making a choice. Asking yourself these three questions will support you in creating what you want in your life.

1. How will I feel about myself when I have made this choice?
2. Will this choice enhance my relationship with myself?
   
3. Will I be walking my talk if I make this choice?
   

Whether the choice is a big or small, it is the consequences that count. Your “little” choices have a significant and cumulative impact over time. The power of a choice is whether or not it contributes to what you want to create, or whether it moves you away from that.

When you are clear on who you are, what you stand for, and what you want to create in your life, your choices become clearer. You have the power to make your dreams and goals become your reality by the choices you make. Choose wisely. Choose powerfully.

Janet Christensen’s passion is to empower people to live their full potential. Through her company, Dynamic Awareness Inc., she provides personal coaching, experiential workshops, inspirational speaking, and is a Reiki practitioner. To contact Janet, phone: (519) 434-5397 fax: (519) 434-8344 or email janet@dynamicawareness.com www.janetchristensen.com

Published in Networking Today, February 2007.