When I was in college, I had 2 epiphanies. The first was that I was taking myself too seriously, which was leading me to live a very unhappy life. I did a 180 and became the person most people called “silly.” I still stand by that decision to let myself be silly because people also often describe me as one of the happiest people they know (most of the time).

The second epiphany was this: you are the choices you make. I have an older sister who has made every decision with her life I wouldn’t have made. Though we grew up in the same house with the same rules and are very close in age, we couldn’t be more different. Part of the reason for my epiphany is her life. I won’t dwell on her life, but I will tell you what this has meant for me.

When you come to this conclusion, you start seeing where you have choices all the time. They are everywhere. In fact, you become so aware of what your choices are that it’s hard to see where you don’t have one to make. (I want to make some joke about parking lots here, but I digress.) Every time you interact with someone, whether it is passing them on the street or talking to them in a meeting at work, there are choices you make about how that interaction is going to go. And the kicker is that the decision you make for how that’s going to go enters into the equation of who you are. It has a cumulative effect.

Knowing you have a choice is empowering. You are no longer a victim of circumstance but a maker of your own fortune. It also lets you define yourself, not as you would have someone else see you – but as you would see yourself. Being the person you want to be starts with these choices and doesn’t stop. Even when no one is looking.

What choices have you made today?

Tags: decisions, priorities | Category Life in General