Choices

Have you ever taken a moment to examine the choices you make in just one day? Or even an hour? People think choices are big-- where you go to school, what type of car you drive, who you date; no. I mean, they are important decisions, but small decisions you make can make a difference too. Everyone's life is a series of choices. You hear it all the time, 'Had I not taken this class, I never would have met so-and-so' or 'Had I not taken this route to work, I would have never gotten in a car accident.' The what-ifs in life could go on forever and drive a person crazy! However, you can't help but notice the signifcance that a simple choice could hold.

Unfortunately I don't have a cute story to illustrate this point specifically. I just noticed the other day how many choices you make in a day! What time you wake up, what you wear, what you eat for breakfast, how you drive to work, what you do at work, what to have for lunch, etc. etc. etc. It's truly mind-boggling! What if EVERY choice you made were significant? When I was 17, I decided on the college I would attend. It was never a question for me whether or not I'd go to college, so it was just a matter of deciding. At that age, I was told that it was a very important decision, but it's not one I took super seriously. I wanted a good school that I could have fun at. However, in making that decision, I got a great education, met some of the best friends a girl could ask for and did things that others have never done and probably will never do. Inadvertently, I have made choices that seperate me from these people and made me stand out. Some small choices turn out to be signifcant ones so how would you know what outcomes your choice will have? When I was in 12th grade, I didn't wear my seat belt ONCE and that ONE time, I went through a windshield. Because of that ONE time, I have scars on my forehead and potential trauma behind my eye that effects my sight. With the significance of decisions and choices in question, this begs another question: why would people make bad decisions?!

I've made PLENTY of poor decisions, but had I known the outcome, would I have made them? Probably not. However, it could be argued that those decisions and results helped shape who I am today. Let's take someone who drinks, for example. You drink. You get drunk. You drive. You get into a car accident. Or arrested. Or, you feel so miserable the day (or for a few days, in my case) after that you swear off drinking forever. After a few vows of living a dry life, you KNOW the outcome drinking a lot will have, yet you do it anway. Why? You know the negative outcome!

So, I have a challenege. Just for 1 day, think before you make a decision. Whether it's what you have for lunch or what you do in your down time...just think about the outcomes before you do it. You never know what the significance will be!