Choices.
This talk was written by Maggie Stevens.
We like choices.
As a matter of fact,
We often equate choices with freedom.
But in our consumerist society,
That can also become overwhelming.
Coffee.
Latte.
Cappuccino.
Frappe.
Expresso.
Decaf.
Cold Brewed.
And let's not even get started with the creamers and compliments that can go with them.
Have you been to your supermarket's cereal aisle lately?
Our alternatives can paralyze us.
The flood of options can also lead to dissatisfaction.
Oh,
I should have gotten the caramel syrup instead of the vanilla.
While a coffee choice may seem like a trifling concern,
The same choices are at play in all aspects of our lives.
We can become compulsive trying to always get the best deal,
Product,
Or outcome.
Often,
A choice we don't even consider is,
No thank you,
I'm good with what I have.
How is it we can direct so much attention to our consumer choices and yet go on autopilot in so many other aspects of our lives?
Research suggests that nearly half of our decisions,
46.
9% to be exact,
Are made without conscious thought.
Did we actually hear what a loved one said to us or were we lost in social media?
Did we see that old man struggling to get his groceries in the car or were we already on to our next errand?
Are we showing up for our lives?
Victor Frankl,
Holocaust survivor and psychologist,
Reminds us of the importance of choosing wisely.
He said,
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing,
The last of human freedoms,
To choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances,
To choose one's own way.
If we paused long enough,
We might ask ourselves if the next thought or action is useful.
Is it aligned with our deepest intention?
Yes,
I can easily scarf down several donuts but is that consistent with trying to maintain good health for longevity?
I love to watch happy ending pet videos on YouTube but does it come at the expense of my relationships?
Often our choices are based on trying to hold on to things that we enjoy or pushing away things that we don't.
There is nothing inherently wrong with donuts or videos.
The question is,
Am I aware of what I'm doing or am I numb?
The world today is filled with chaos.
In the past,
It was saber-toothed cats,
The Crusades,
Or stock market crashes.
Today,
We have plenty of our own bad news which is one reason why so many of us find diversions and reasons to look away.
It is hard to sit with what is difficult or painful but that is the first step in deciding what to do.
Sometimes I imagine the difficulty as a porcupine.
I know that if I hold it too closely,
It is really going to be painful.
So I just sit with it.
I give it a little space in my attention.
Then I just sit.
Often,
In the stillness,
The difficulty will let me know how to respond.
Sometimes I need to call someone and apologize.
Sometimes I need to write a letter on an issue that's important to me or send a donation to an organization I believe in.
Sometimes I find there's nothing that I can do but look the porcupine in the eye and say,
Yes,
I see you.
By choosing an attitude of open acceptance,
I can then choose an action that is aligned with my intentions.
So as JK Rowling's wrote in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Horrors,
It is our choices,
Harry,
That show us what we truly are far more than our abilities.
My friends,
We can choose wisely.
