{"id":688,"date":"2017-02-19T21:32:38","date_gmt":"2017-02-19T21:32:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=688"},"modified":"2017-02-19T21:32:38","modified_gmt":"2017-02-19T21:32:38","slug":"the-power-of-our-choices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2017\/02\/the-power-of-our-choices.html","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Our Choices"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"fork<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are our choices.\u201d J.P. Sartre<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There is a lot of life that is outside of our control. We can\u2019t dictate how other people act.\u00a0 We can\u2019t control the economy or our job opportunities.\u00a0 We can\u2019t decide who our parents will be or our genetics.\u00a0 But there is one very important aspect of life that is under our control \u2013 our choices.<\/p>\n

In fact, I would argue that our choices dictate our quality of life more than any other factor. For instance, so many kids respond differently to their parents\u2019 divorce.\u00a0 Divorce is an unfortunate and all too common event in our society.\u00a0 And for the children involved, it is profoundly disappointing.\u00a0 Some kids turn to drugs, alcohol and bad behavior as a result.\u00a0 However, when my parents divorced, I had the same reaction as some of my closest friends from divorced homes.\u00a0 We hit the books and studied hard.\u00a0 We walked the straight and narrow, lest we jeopardize our ability to go to college (our escape from the chaos created by our parents).\u00a0 And ultimately, we succeeded \u2013 in spite of our circumstances.<\/p>\n

I know two women who lost their mothers at an early age. One decided to be bitter and difficult due to the experience.\u00a0 The other decided to be loving and warm.\u00a0 She is extremely maternal, in spite of not having had a role model for motherhood.\u00a0 They have had the same circumstances, but they have made different choices.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure you know folks who were given everything, and they chose to squander all their opportunities. And I\u2019m sure you know individuals who came from limited means and yet did great things with their lives.\u00a0 Circumstances don\u2019t dictate our success.\u00a0 Instead, our success or failure is dictated by our choices.\u00a0 Do we choose drive and ambition, or do we choose complacency?<\/p>\n

If there was one thing that I would tell every young person, it is this: We are the sum of our choices. So, at every opportunity, make good ones.\u00a0 You would be surprised how far you will get in life simply by choosing hard work and kind behavior.<\/p>\n

In fact, the biggest tragedy is when people don\u2019t have choices. In this respect, I think in particular of children from poorer countries who don\u2019t have access to education.\u00a0 I also think of the young girls who are forced into marriage at a young age.\u00a0 I also think of the children and young women who are sold into slavery.\u00a0 What are their choices?\u00a0 They have none, and that is a tragedy.<\/p>\n

For most of us in the Western world, however, we do have choices. So please don\u2019t take your choices for granted.\u00a0 We each have the choice to work hard, be kind and give generously.\u00a0 Conversely, we can choose to be lazy, unkind and stingy.\u00a0 And ultimately, we become our choices.<\/p>\n

This week, think about the choices you\u2019ve made thus far in your life. Like everyone, you probably have made some good ones and some bad ones.\u00a0 Consider how those choices have taken you on a certain trajectory in life.\u00a0 Then think about where you want to be in the next 10 days, 10 months or 10 years.\u00a0 If you make the right choices today, you will get to where you want to be in the future.\u00a0 So be sure that your choices are good ones.<\/p>\n

(Photo Courtesy of Pexels)<\/p>\n

Follow me on https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWe are our choices.\u201d J.P. Sartre There is a lot of life that is outside of our control. We can\u2019t dictate how other people act.\u00a0 We can\u2019t control the economy or our job opportunities.\u00a0 We can\u2019t decide who our parents will be or our genetics.\u00a0 But there is one very important aspect of life that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[42],"class_list":["post-688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-choices"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Power of Our Choices - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2017\/02\/the-power-of-our-choices.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Power of Our Choices - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cWe are our choices.\u201d J.P. 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