We have a Choice
Life is a wonderful gift …
To the intelligent and to the wise.
They use the gift of the intellect,
And they make the right choice.
If we don't use it, then we lose it. Life is such! We have the opportunity to choose. Nobody stops us from making a choice. But most of us don't use this gift of choice. Somehow, we believe that it is a gift only to a few that are wise. But the reality is, we are all given the intellect and we are all gifted with the tool of discrimination. Most of us live and die without even knowing we possess it.
Most people think they are doomed by what they call 'bad luck'. They look around and they curse. Their circumstances are hateworthy and they dread every moment of life. They don't realize that life has two critical aspects – one, our circumstances, which we cannot change. And two, the opportunity to make a choice. Let's delve into both. There seem to be some things in life that we can't change. We can't choose our date of birth, our place of birth or our parents and the nationality or religion we are born into. Whether we are male or female; white, black or brown - all these seem to be something we are gifted with, and we don't even understand why this has happened. Unlike common belief, this is not just luck, fate or serendipity. These circumstances are all part of the universal principles, the Universal Laws that prevail in the universe. There is no doubt that we can't change these naturally, but we have a choice to make a change.
Can we change our nationality? We can! If we want to change our religion, nobody can stop us. Time has come in the modern world that we can even change our gender. The fact is, we have a choice. Most things in life are open for us to choose – what we eat, drink, we wear, is all up to us. We can choose to educate ourselves the way we like. We can decide who should be our life partner. All this is a choice. But do we exercise it?
There will be many in this world who live and die like Tommy. Tommy is my friend's dog. When I first went to meet my friend, I asked him, 'Why is Tommy groaning?' The dog continued its constant 'Grr….grrr…… grrr… ' 'Oh, don't worry,' said my friend, 'Tommy is sitting on a nail.''Why does he not get up? Why is he groaning again and again?' I asked. My friend smiled and replied, 'Because it is not hurting that much.' Many of us live through life groaning and moaning. We accept things as they are. We sit on the nail of life, although we have a choice to get up and to move.
We must not be like Tommy, moaning and groaning through life. We must not let anything stop us from making the right choice. Finally, there is only one entity that can stop us from choosing – we ourselves! We must realize that while there are things in life that we can't change, we can choose everything we do in life and this controls our happiness more than our circumstances. We can't control people's actions, but we can control our reactions because they are ours. If we react negatively and we suffer, we should not blame our circumstances.
Sometimes, we blame others. We believe that there are people who stop us from making a decision or there are limitations that do not let us make a choice. A few of us, are under pressure, either from family or friends and that stops us from making that wise decision. Whatever be the reason, that is another choice – to let faces, fences, forces or farces stop us from our choice. Suppose we believe a farce, a myth and we continue to suffer, who is to blame?
If we truly want to make our life meaningful, we must awaken to the reality that life is a choice. Of course, we must also learn that whatever is unfolding as our circumstances is not luck but is returning to us as our Karma. Even Karma doesn't stop us from making a choice. A human being is the only gifted creature of all living organisms who has the free will to choose. We must develop this willpower to be stronger as we move forward in this journey called 'Life'.
Choices, not chances determine the destiny of our life. Don't blame luck. Remember, your life doesn't depend on luck. It depends on pluck! You can mourn as you wait for others to bring you roses or you can get up and pluck your own flowers. The choice is yours. If you really want to live life to its best, then activate your power of choice. Become conscious and aware of everything that you can choose. You must remember, however, that there are things you can't choose! You can't choose whether a tsunami, a typhoon or a hurricane will destroy you. But you can choose to take a flight to a safer destination.
There are two types of people in this world, one who choose and the others who lose. If you decide not to choose, then be prepared to lose this gift called 'Life'. Then things will happen to you and you will think that they were beyond your control, when in reality, it was your inaction that caused it.
Today, you have a choice. You have a Life Manual in your hands. It is telling you how to live life. It is up to you - you can decide to read it or you can just dump it - the choice is yours. It is a Manual that can give you bliss, joy and peace. It can help you overcome problems. But if you believe that it is just junk, then nothing can help you make the best of this gift called ‘Life’. Remember, the choice is in your hands. Use it or lose it!
IN A NUTSHELL