It’s Your Choice
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Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives—choice, not chance, determines your destiny.
Aristotle / philosopher, teacher, polymath / 384–322 BC
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As each day unfolds, you have numerous opportunities to improve yourself and your quality of life through choice. Each action you take is essentially a choice, whether you’re fully aware of it or not, and each has its own consequences, be they positive or negative. Even inaction is a choice that has its own set of consequences. As the nineteenth-century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard pointedly stated, “We create ourselves by our choices.” Such choices can range from important decisions that have major ramifications to something as simple as a smile that you decide to share with another. Whether you seize an opportunity as it arises is your choice, and each choice that you make adds to your identity as an individual, molds your future, and often influences the world around you. The course of your life is dictated by the results of the choices you make from moment to moment. If you make wise decisions and consistently do what is right, then you can rest assured that such behaviors will pay dividends down the road. Alternatively, when you make a poor decision or succumb to fear, it will inevitably come back to haunt you one way or another.
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It’s important to keep in mind that the power that emanates from choice is significantly influenced by responsibility. To enhance your personal power and seize control of your destiny, you can strive to accept responsibility for everything in your life. Although that may seem extreme at first, such a view will give you strength and allow you to identify ways in which you can improve your current situation. The alternative is to believe that other people and events primarily control your life, much like a helpless baby. Granted, other people or outside forces may play key roles in the difficulties you face, but blaming someone or something else is a fruitless distraction that saps your energy. Believe that you have the power to excel because your beliefs shape your thoughts, thoughts create emotions, and emotions lead to both actions and manifestations. Life is intricate, and there are many forces with which we must contend; however, we’re not merely frail leaves at the mercy of the slightest breeze. We have the potential to take control of our lives, and by accepting responsibility for things, we can gain that control and leverage it accordingly.
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