First a quote: “Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make… makes you.” – John Maxwell
Hello and happy Monday
As parents, one of our philosophies in raising our two children was to teach them, early in life, about the importance and power of choices and the consequences about those choices.
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The first lesson; no matter the situation, we almost always have choices.
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The second lesson; the choices we make have consequences.
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The third lesson; while we may be free to make a wide range of choices, we don’t get to choose the consequences associated with most of those choices. When making a choice, we also choose the consequences associated with that choice.
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And last, not making a choice… is also a choice and has its own consequences.
“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” – Tony Robbins
Today, our now independent and adult children like to tease us about the mantra they heard frequently when leaving our home as teenagers: “Make good choices!”
Certainly, life is full of big and important choices;
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Should I attend college and if so, where and what should I study?
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Should I get married? Should we have children?
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Should I take this job or that job? Should I begin a new career?
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Should we buy or sell a house? Should we move here, or there?
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When should I retire?
The list of possible important questions is endless and will be with us throughout our entire life. The choices we make can, and often do, change the direction and trajectory of our future.
It has been my observation however, that the important choices we make aren’t the “big ones” described above. Those choices typically get the time and attention they deserve. It is often the routine choices we make “in the moment” and, often subconsciously, that are more likely to determine our level of achievement, success, and happiness.
“Every choice you make has an end result.” – Zig Ziglar
Choices about our daily habits, our attitudes, our thinking patterns, and how we spend our time are hugely important. And yet, very few of us make conscious choices about those things. For instance:
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To have more friends, we must first choose to be a friend and to be friendlier with others.
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To be more loved, we must first choose to be more lovable and to be more loving of others.
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To be more respected, we must first choose to act more respectably and, to be more respectful of others.
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To earn more money, we must first choose to produce more results, and be of greater value to others.
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To have what others don’t, we must first choose to do what others won’t.
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To be the person we aspire to be, we must first choose to let go of who we have been in the past.
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When bad stuff happens to us, we have a choice to make… will we choose to be better, or bitter because of what has happened to us? It is always a choice.
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Choices about how we spend our allotment of 168 hours each week… mindless television or doing something productive, intentional, or helping other people.
I’m suggesting the choices we don’t make consciously, or intentionally, are as important as the choices we spend hours contemplating.
“We are where we are today because of choices we’ve made in the past.” – Bryan Yager
Our future depends upon the choices we make today, tomorrow, and next week. Ralph Waldo Emerson said it this way, “ The only person you are destined to become, is the person you decide to be.”
As we taught our children… make good choices! Even the small ones matter.
Why not choose to be your best self this week? It is a choice!
- Updated and revised. Originally published on May 14, 2018. (I’m on vacation this week.)
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Bryan Yager
“Expanding Your Capacity for Success”
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Bonus Quotes:
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“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” – Nelson Mandela
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“Right now you are one choice away from a new beginning—one that leads you toward becoming the fullest human being you can be.” – Oprah Winfrey
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“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” – Neil Peart
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“No matter what the situation, remind yourself, I have a choice.” – Deepak Chopra
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“Every morning you have two choices: Continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase your dreams. The choice is yours.” – Anonymous
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“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” – Denis Waitley
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“Choices are the hinges of destiny.” – Edwin Markham
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“If you are losing your leisure, look out; you may be losing your soul.” – Logan P. Smith
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“Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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“Most people chase success at work, thinking that will make them happy. The truth is that happiness at work will make you successful.” — Alexander Kjerulf
