Charting Your Course: Harnessing the Power of Choice
Steering Toward Success through Conscious Choices
Today's Focus: The Power of Choice
In your journey toward personal growth and fulfillment, understanding and harnessing the power of choice is crucial. Today’s report highlights actionable insights and affirmations to empower you in making conscious choices that align with your aspirations and values.
Empowering Quotes for the Day
A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
-- Proverbs 22:1
“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life—by a conscious endeavor.”
– Henry David Thoreau
American Author
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
American Author & Philosopher
“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened.”
– Helen Keller
American Blind Author
Charting Your Course: Harnessing the Power of Choice
Since every decision we make shapes our lives and influences our futures, all decision-making is indicative of power of choice. And, how we exercise our power of choice will determine where we go, and how far and fast we go too.
Understanding the Importance of Your Decisions
It’s a simple and yet remarkable phenomenon that the choices we make create our life to a large extent. Each decision we make, whether big or small, shapes the trajectory of our lives, influencing our experiences, relationships, and overall well-being. Given this truth, to make the very best decisions, we must beware of the consequences or potential consequences of same. Simultaneously, we should keep in mind that making choices without a specific long-term goal or plan and without consideration of all consequences, both immediate and long-term, can be extremely perilous and at best haphazard. For, if we behave spontaneously and make random decisions, our life experience will be a kaleidoscope of helter-skelter; we’ll be thrown into this situation and that, causing this or that. This aimless, random choice behavior can create a chaotic life for you; and, quite frequently the results will be harmful to you and/or others, whether immediate, long-range or in between.
For many people, zigzagging through life or aimless drift is a major reason for the disappointments and pains they experience. And the pain caused by this non-focused approach is one of the major reasons for depression, addiction, and impoverished living conditions. This truth applies to everyone; because, even if you’ve accomplished all the things you set out to do when you were young, you’re not immune; you will still need constant new focus to guide your choices. (So, always set new goals to re-set your focus and thereby have a guide to make the best choices you can.) Since without this constant new focus, you risk incurring unnecessary negative events, and feeling emotional pain. Moreover, you may lose the motivation required to make consistent good choices for you and others; and, you might begin engaging in bad habits to feel better; or, you could simply descend into chronic depression.
Now, let us delve into the profound impact that our choices wield and uncover the keys to harnessing this power for personal growth and fulfillment.
The Impact of Choices
You can easily see in your experience that any decisions you make or don't make will either alter or maintain sameness in your path/direction. And, this is true for all your major life areas: career, family, financial, social, spiritual, educational, health and fitness.
Your daily decisions will also uphold or alter your self-concept and character identity as well as either increase or decrease your self-esteem.
And they have the power to improve or harm your reputation (with self and others) your relationships (at work, friends, family and spouse) and yourself (empower you or debase you).
Now let's look further into the power you have to build your Life Vision with choices.
Cultivating Hope —You Have the Power
The “Power” in the power of choosing comes from the fact that all choices have results. It follows then that you control the outcome by choice—you have the power.
To wield even greater power, look at alternatives and create more choices. The more choices you have the greater number of outcomes exist for any given situation. In turn, these options provide you with the raw ingredients to shape your life.
Essentially, the ability to shape your life is derived from the combination of free will and the number of available outcomes. The more outcomes at your service the more precisely you can shape your life.
Good Choices vs. Bad Choices
Every day you must make decisions and in turn these decisions change your life—some subtly, some drastically and many in between. Categorizing your decisions as either Good or Bad choices is a way of underscoring the power and importance decision making has in your life. And while it is true that all decisions make a difference in your life, some of them are more important because of the consequences and subsequent impact on your life.
To succeed in life, by your personal definition, you must make a start by aiming to always make good choices, choices that will build and maintain the personal character you wish for yourself, and that will take you from where you are now to where you want to go, and at the same time that will allow you to do the things you want to do along the way.
Therefore, keeping the above statement in mind, to succeed, you must exercise good judgment and wisdom before you make a choice that could potentially decide where you end up. To achieve this, analyze your choices in light of your most important values, the people you love and your major life goal(s). Does the choice in question support the future you want, the vision you have for your life, your future image of you, your family and your desires, or not? Decide appropriately with the consequences in mind.
Purposeful Choice
Generally speaking, life seems to be very chaotic and random; because of this, you will not always be able to correctly analyze and predict the outcomes of many decisions you will make. (This is particularly true if you don’t at least attempt to make choices that are best for you and others.)
Yes, life is sometimes chaotic and hard to predict. This is partially due to the enormous amounts of random activities that you will encounter as a result of taking this road or that road. This is a reality, and even if you make good choices, this will be true. That’s right, even if you completely understand your needs and all the basic ingredients to a successful life, you will still encounter many surprises and unknowns on your path. Therefore, knowing that you can’t know everything for certain, you will not be able to control everything as you’d like to. But, what you can do is aim to remove as much guesswork as possible from your decision making. To do so, you should know the basics of good choices.
You can discover some of these basics by asking yourself specific well formed questions; your answers provide you with the basic knowledge you need to make consistent good choices daily. Here are some examples to get you started: “What quality of life do I want to enjoy?” “What actions support this goal?” “Which ones don’t support it?” And, “What type of person do I want to be?” “How do I want others to recall me?” “What kind of a character do I want to develop?” “According to my values, is this choice morally right, or wrong?” “Is what I’m doing, or about to do, bad for me?” “How about others, is it good or bad for them?” “Does it, or could it, harm me or others physically, emotionally or financially?” And, “Does my behavior glorify God?” Consider this question too: “What do I want to do with the remainder of my life?” Or, “Where do I want to go from here?” Another good question is: “At this time or in the future, what do I want to do?” And always be sure to ask yourself, “Does this choice move me closer to my desire?”
When making important decisions, be sure to ask yourself these questions and write down your answers. Memorize a few of them and remember to use them, especially when you have temptation thoughts, encounter crossroads, or forks in the road; your answers will provide guidance when making future choices.
In addition to this information, before you make important decisions, you should understand, to the best of your ability, what the road to your goal is like. “What type of life do you expect to be living on the path?” “Is your answer based on good research and clear and accurate thinking?” By following this plan of questioning, and doing whatever self-reflection and investigation is required to determine the answers, your choices will be intentional and aligned with your cherished values, family concerns and major goals. Following this discipline, you can make purposeful choices; and you can choose the path that gives you the best opportunity to live your dreams. You can choose the path to prosperity.
Now, combining the knowledge from answering the above questions with an understanding of what the road is like, and knowing the lifestyle you desire, you can make purposeful good choices for yourself, choices that will more likely be beneficial to you and your loved ones.
It’s true however, traveling down the road of life there will still be unknown factors, but these random encounters can now be accepted as either bonuses or challenges and dealt with accordingly. (This acceptance is the result of knowing you are making the best possible choices for you and your loved ones, to the best of your ability, based on your desires and knowledge. (Whether or not there would’ve been better random encounters on other roads you can never know. However, with good choices at least you’ll be on the right road for you—the road you have chosen to travel—the road that leads to your life dreams—the road to the future you desire for yourself and those you care about.)) Yes, you will still encounter random events, and some of them will be negative; but, at the very least, the road or roads you travel won’t be randomly selected.
Build Positive Momentum and Live Successfully
With good choices you will be in control of your life. And, because of your self-control, you will have more self-confidence. Higher levels of self-confidence enable you to more effectively deal with problems and challenges. In addition, because you are making good choices, you know any suffering you encounter is not of your own intentional doing. This provides understanding and fortresses your own reassurance that you are living your life on purpose. Living your life on purpose increases your self-esteem, and increases in self-esteem give you the ultimate leverage for achievement and ever-increasing happiness. This happiness, resulting from goal striving and consistent hard work, can keep expanding for you. It’s based on a commitment to honesty and moral decision making. The effect is an expanding, positive view of self. This in turn creates more drive and ability to achieve. It’s a circuit with one feeding the other, self-esteem and increased success. This combination produces a snowball rolling down a hill effect; it is momentum building in a positive form.
Be Fully Committed to Good Choices
All actions and choices will either provide a net benefit or loss. Obviously, you should choose to do only those things that bring to you and others a net benefit or gain and avoid losses and harm. (Self-destructive choices do not benefit you (even when short-term escape or pleasure is involved). Ultimately, they harm you and are therefore morally bad and should not be indulged in.) Any action, experience or decision that purposely causes harm or that has a negative consequence for any human being is morally bad and therefore not selected for action or purposely engaged in. Only those acts, which you know for sure, will be beneficial to you and/or others should be selected for deliberate action and engagement.
To get what you want out of life and to live a successful life on your terms, you must make a commitment to make good choices. To do your best at choosing, always take the information and knowledge that you acquire from others (via watching, listening, studying, reading, etc.) and conjoin it (only after sifting it through your own mental filters for truth, practicality and wisdom) with your life’s experiences, cherished values, desires and moral values; and then, make decisions that offer your future hope.
Since all decision making is influencing your life, I hope you’ll agree that this is a very important task that deserves your utmost attention. It’s really rather simple. First, be committed to making good decisions. Then, think of your future, know where you are, remember past lessons and don’t miss the train that’ll take you to the destination you have chosen.
Use the above suggestions and sound reasoning to figure out what’s a good choice and what is not. It’s not complicated. It’s the opposite, it’s simple (good vs. bad).
You must always attempt to make good choices. It’s in your best interest to do so. Knowing this, make the commitment to make good choices daily; and, from now on give your decision making some serious and careful thought and analysis. (At the very least, use your brain and think before you take any action. Keep yourself safe and fit for tomorrow. Don’t live just for today, that’s rubbish talk. You live one day at a time always planning for tomorrow. And, if it doesn’t come, it doesn’t come. But this way, if tomorrow doesn’t come, at least it won’t be because of an intentional poor choice on your part.)
Always remember: you will be much happier and more successful if you take the time to exercise enough control to make all your decisions good ones. So begin today, by making a commitment to make consistent good choices—making good choices a habit. (Once you do, the habit of good choices will make you.)
Good Choices vs. Bad Choices; that they exist is a matter of fact—that you’ll make the good ones is up to you. Good choices or Bad choices—the free will and responsibility is yours.
Changing Directions
Would you agree if you were not happy with the results you were getting in life, it would be smart for you to make a change in direction? Did you know you have to apply a force to get moving, to change direction? The first step to go in an alternative direction is to make the choice to do so—this is the required force. This choice is the beginning of your acceleration in a new direction. This power of choice is a God given power; and, it is up to you to use it wisely.
States of Being vs. Direction
Believe it or not there are only two states of being—acceleration or inertia. That’s true—you are either moving or standing still—a body at rest. Also, in regards to life you can be living or dying both physically and/or psychically. In terms of movement, you can be going forward or backward or any number of other directions. That’s the great news! There are multiple directions you can travel. In fact, the amount of choices regarding directions is impressively large. You only need to select one and accelerate in that direction.
The Manifold Effects and Power of Your Decisions
What's really grand about choices is they control more than just direction; they can be used to alter everything in your life. For instance, with the power to choose you can alter your state of being (whether or not you are growing and moving forward towards a goal or stuck in inertia and sliding backward). You can alter your overall direction in life, your purpose. You can choose to change your habits and your character. You can choose to increase your knowledge and skills. Using your power of choice you are capable of changing your emotional state, your associates, lover, occupation, residence, attitude, beliefs, and goals. In addition, with your choices you are capable of reinvigorating, motivating, maintaining and persisting at previous choices. Think about what awesome power this is for you. Think about the implications. Think about how changing any one of these myriad things can create a significant difference in your life. (Think about what would happen if you changed a bunch of things?) That's awesome power! (So, be sure to use it prudently, positively and purposefully to create your Life Vision.)
Strategies for Making Better Choices
Strategies for making better choices can include cultivating self-awareness, identifying values and priorities, weighing pros and cons, seeking advice and feedback, and learning from past choices and mistakes. It is beyond the scope of this report to delve into these or other techniques. We will briefly touch on a few however. (For a more in-depth report on decision making and problem-solving, look for a future Life Vision Today© letter on Problem-Solving and Navigation Tools.) Let’s begin with,
Seven Easy Suggestions to Make Consistent Good Choices:
Develop a sense of hope for the future—your future.
Daily build up an inner sense of high hope. Tell yourself: “This is going to be an exciting adventure today.” Then go into your day playing the part of an enthusiastic and focused adventurer.
Work to continuously build a positive self-image.
Develop a strong desire to live a full and rich life to the best of your ability.
Daily visualize your future as a positive worthwhile experience.
Always make goal supportive choices: use your vision as your guide.
Approach each choice with intentionality, knowing that it contributes to the story of your life. Remember that even small decisions have the potential to create significant impacts on your future.
Decision Making Made Easy
The first thing you must do is to clearly define your situation. The next thing is to create lists of all the possible solutions, alternatives and resources. From the three lists, select, in your opinion, the very best solutions and alternatives, write them down to create a “Possible Solutions” list.
Search for Answers
Next, consider and review your resources and contacts (associates, friends and family) with your “Possible Solutions” list in front of you. Determine from this review if there is anyone you should call or visit that may be able to assist you in solving your problem or who could provide you with relevant information with which you can use in making your choice. Maybe, all you need is a sounding board, someone to listen to you—a good friend will provide that for you. Then again, maybe your resources list includes the item or items you need to solve the problem or shows you the way. This review will point this out to you.
Ask yourself: “Can the problem be solved with the right information?” “Is there something I need more knowledge about?” “Can I find it among my resources?” The public library, your personal library or a knowledgeable associate may be able to provide the needed answer for you.
Try going through your “Possible Solutions” list with a partner or friend, maybe, they can see answers, possible solutions, or provide additional ideas that will prove helpful. Another thing you can try is calling friends and relatives to discuss your situation and need with them. This activity can lead to additional information or contacts that can help you.
Pros vs. Cons
If the answers can't be found in your resources, return to your “Possible Solutions” list. From these make a pros and cons list for each idea.
Find a quiet place to sit down and think about your situation. Review your “Possible Solutions” list and concentrate your thought on one idea at a time. Begin writing down your thoughts for each one; list-out the pros and the cons.
Here's what you do: Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle, splitting it in half from top to bottom. Put a heading in the center, on the top of the page, indicating what you’re analyzing (resource A, alternative B, solution C, etc.). Next, on the top left, write PROS (+) and on the right top, write CONS (-).
Thinking about the choice you’re facing or the problem you need to solve, and the specific solution you’re analyzing, write down all the reasons why it’s a good idea on the left half of the page, under the PROS (+). Now, do the same for the negatives, write down all the reasons why it’s not such a great idea or what you perceive to be the downside of this particular solution. Write all these on the right half of the page under the CONS (-).
Gather Information and Ideas: Consult Others
After writing the pros and cons for each potential choice or solution, consult with a close friend or spouse about your predicament. Describe to them the challenge or obstacle and the very best solutions and alternatives you came up with. Also, discuss the pros and cons of each solution or choice, one by one, with this person. Get their thoughts and opinions about the situation, the solutions, alternatives, pros and cons, etc. Don’t make any decisions yet, you only want to gather information and opinion at this point. When you do make a choice, be sure that the decision is yours; unless of course it’s a shared responsibility. (The point here is to not default on your responsibility, nor give away your power.)
Sleep On It
If after all this work you're still undecided, it's time to let the decision alone for awhile. Try sleeping on it. Try sleeping on it for a couple of days, if necessary.
Another technique is to review the whole matter in a private, quiet place; and meditate on the situation, obstacle or problem. In the beginning of your session, ask your mind to find the solution for you. Don’t expect instant results; rather expect it to take some time. Simply, ask your mind to work on the problem for you; spend 20-30 minutes in meditation; then go about your business as usual. This technique should provide an answer for you in a matter of days. The key is to trust in God, your mind, and the process.
If all else fails, you may have to use the "Just Pick One Technique" in which after much study and review (Review of the: pros vs. cons, benefits, dangers, consequences, facts, and opinions, etc.) consultations with others and the like, you will simply pick one of your very best solutions or alternatives. But first, before you pick one, go through a process of elimination.
The Process of Elimination
The process of elimination is simply a trial and error method of searching for a solution. Here’s a way you can use it: Take your very best solutions list, read each line item on the list. Then, give careful thought to the pros and cons list you created. Consider the entire situation that you're in—in relation to these items. Cross off the “Possible Solutions” list any ideas you believe are least likely to work. By eliminating these least likely items, you should be able to substantially reduce your choices and improve the quality of the list. Afterwards, re-order the list, ranking the solutions from most likely to work to least likely to work, or from least expensive to try to most expensive option. Then, beginning with the least expensive, most likely to work solution; begin testing them one at a time until you hit upon the solution. Be tenacious in your problem solving, there is a solution to everything.
A Daily Procedure for Making Good Choices:
Morning Visualization: Start your day with a brief visualization exercise to envision your future and the life you desire. Picture yourself achieving your goals and living a fulfilling and purposeful life.
Goal Setting: Set aside some time each morning to establish your daily goals. Write down at least one specific goal you want to accomplish for the day and one long-term goal you are working towards. Break down these goals into actionable steps.
Conscious Decision-Making: Throughout the day, practice conscious decision-making. Before making any significant decision, pause and consider the potential consequences and outcomes of each option. Choose the option that aligns best with your values, vision, and long-term goals.
Reflective Journaling: At the end of the day, take a few minutes to reflect on the choices you made. Write down any insights or observations about how your decisions influenced your experiences, emotions, and progress towards your goals.
Affirmation and Intention Setting: Start and end your day with positive affirmations and intentions related to the power of choice and personal empowerment. Repeat affirmations that reinforce your ability to make good choices and create the life you desire.
Gratitude Practice: Take a moment each day to express gratitude for the opportunities and choices you have. Reflect on the positive aspects of your life that result from your past and present decisions, fostering a mindset of abundance and empowerment.
Self-Reflection Exercise: Before going to bed, engage in a self-reflection exercise. Ask yourself questions related to your choices and actions throughout the day. Evaluate which choices aligned with your values and goals, and identify areas where you could have made better decisions or taken more empowered actions.
Today’s Action Item
With a sense of hope, start today by visualizing your future. See it as a positive worthwhile experience, a life you will enjoy and be proud of, and one you have control over.
Begin with a positive affirmation that reflects your Life Vision.
Create at least five questions that will cause you to brainstorm positive paths to your Life Vision. (Who? How? Why? What? Where? When? (Example: How can I accomplish _______ and have fun doing it?))
Create from your Life Vision some suitable goals for yourself. Break them down into actionable steps. And, immediately take the challenge of accomplishing your goals by taking a positive step towards one of them today. (If you completed this exercise you made a bunch of positive, life changing choices.)
Create a daily to do list and prioritize things, taking care to mark the most important action items.
Take deliberate action toward your goals, concentrating first on those items that you marked as “important” priorities, ensuring progress towards your aspirations.
Actions for Empowerment
Incorporating actionable steps into your daily routine empowers you to embrace the power of choice and live a life aligned with your values and aspirations. Here are some suggestions that you can take to cultivate empowerment through your daily choices:
Conscious Decision-Making: Pause before making any significant decision and consider the potential consequences and outcomes. Choose the option that aligns best with your values, vision, and long-term goals.
Self-Reflection: Engage in regular self-reflection to evaluate the impact of your choices on your life. Identify areas where you can make better decisions and take proactive steps to align your actions with your values.
Gratitude Practice: Cultivate gratitude for the opportunities and choices you have. Reflect on the positive aspects of your life that result from your past and present decisions, fostering a mindset of abundance and empowerment.
These suggestions are designed to empower you to take ownership of your choices and actions, guiding you toward a life of purpose, integrity, and fulfillment. (Written as affirmations)
I choose to be virtuous and uphold morally good standards in all my decisions and actions.
I take responsibility for my decisions and make them wisely and prudently.
I determine the life I lead by consciously making moment-to-moment choices aligned with my values and goals.
I act with integrity and authenticity, honoring the character I’ve created for myself.
I exercise the power of choice to actively pursue and manifest my life vision.
I focus on living my life vision at the highest level, committing to continuous growth and improvement.
I make daily progress toward realizing my clearly defined life vision, taking tangible steps toward my goals.
I ensure that my decisions align with my goals and contribute to the fulfillment of my life vision.
I live with purpose and intention, mindful of the impact of my actions on my life and others.
I embrace my identity as a wonderful creation of God, acknowledging my inherent worth and potential.
I recognize my responsibility to God and strive to honor this responsibility through my actions and choices.
Today's Empowering Questions: Leveraging Your Choices
As you navigate your daily activities, reflect on these questions:
Does this thought empower me?
Does this action move me closer to my goal?
How can I leverage my choices today to move closer to achieving my goals and living my life vision?
By acknowledging the influence of your choices and identifying actionable steps, you empower yourself to make decisions that propel you toward success and fulfillment.
The following questions were designed to assist you in focused brainstorming to develop options; and, to center your attention on what’s important to you for appropriate consideration prior to decision making:
Have I posed questions to myself, about my goals and future?
Have I created the questions so as to solicit positive responses? (Example: How can I create financial freedom and have fun doing it?)
Have my previous choices been supportive of my life vision? If no, how can I correct the situation?
Have I made choices in the past that do not support my life vision? If yes, how can I correct the situation for the future?
What choices in my control can I make today to support my life vision?
What standards and morals support my life vision?
Which choices are best for me, and, my loved ones?
When I make a decision, do I consider the implications and consequences to myself, my life vision, and all others who may be impacted? Do I give forethought and due consideration of all these things including my life partner (and the consequences to our relationship (strengthening or harming)) before taking any action or engaging in any activity?
What must I do to move toward my most important goals?
What must I do to live successfully, according to my definition of success?
How can I begin to develop myself? (Specify a life area here to create better focus.)
What do I have passion for? What do I get joy from doing?
Have I considered the interrelation and balance of all my major life areas with my life vision?
What are some of the beliefs of successful people, people who have done what I want to do? And of these, which ones do I agree with, and can see myself adopting or emulating?
What goals support my world view and life vision?
What small step can I take today that will move me closer to my life vision?
Today's Affirmations for Empowerment
Affirmations serve as powerful reminders of our capabilities, values, and aspirations. Here are some affirmations that reinforce empowerment in your daily life:
-- I am the architect of my life, and I choose my path with intention and purpose.
-- I choose to live to morally good standards.
-- My choices align with my values and lead me toward my goals and aspirations.
-- Decisions are my responsibility and I make them prudently.
-- I trust in my ability to make wise and empowering decisions in every situation.
-- I decide the life I live by my moment to moment choices.
-- Each choice I make contributes to my character, and shapes my future—filled with abundance and fulfillment.
-- I always act with integrity to my self-created character.
-- I am empowered to create positive change through my conscious choices and actions.
-- I embrace the power of choice as a tool for personal growth, transformation, and success.
-- I exercise the power of choice to live my life vision.
-- I focus on living my life vision at the highest level.
-- I make progress every day toward living my clearly defined life vision.
-- My decisions are leading me to accomplish my goals and live my life vision.
-- I live on purpose.
-- I am a wonderful creation of God; and I express my gratitude by making good choices.
-- I am responsible to God.
By integrating these actions and affirmations into your daily routines, you cultivate empowerment and resilience, enabling you to navigate challenges and create the life you desire through the power of choice.
Empowering Yourself through Conscious Choices
As choices are the way in which we can exercise power and control over our life, let’s embark on today's tasks with a deep awareness of the power we hold within our choices. By recognizing that every decision we make shapes our path and defines our journey, we can be more deliberate in taking steps toward realizing our dreams.
Conclusion: You Have the Power
The “Power” in the power of choosing comes from the fact that all choices have results. It follows then that you control the outcome by choice—you have the power. Thus, the power of choice stands as a cornerstone of your personal growth, empowerment and success
This power offers you the freedom to shape your destiny and create the life you envision. From the decisions you make in the present to the ripple effects they create in the future, your choices hold the key to unlocking your fullest potential and living a life of purpose and fulfillment.
To wield even greater power, look at alternatives and create more choices. The more choices you have the greater number of outcomes exist for any given situation. In turn, these options provide you with the raw ingredients to shape your life.
Essentially, the ability to shape your life is derived from the combination of free will and the number of available outcomes. The more outcomes at your service the more precisely you can shape your life.
It’s up to you to exercise your power of choice. You can choose your own kingdom—one that is worthy of you. You can choose to live a wonderful life; you can choose success; and by doing so, you can live your dreams.
Embrace the power of choice and commit to using it wisely.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
--Jesus Christ
Matthew 7:20
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
-- Mark Twain
American Author