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You Always Have a Choice #2

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In our previous Wisdom Note, we proved that you always have a choice. This week we will continue on the subject of choice. If you miss any of our Wisdom Notes, please go to the blog to read past newsletters.

The choices that you make not only impact your own life, but also the lives of many others. If you desire to make an impact and live your legacy each day, it will be based on the choices that you make.

Let’s continue our previous narrative. Within our former Wisdom Notes, I went through the 9 choices that I make every morning before I arrive at my desk, ready to work each day. But what if I change choice #2 from getting up at 4:45am to start my morning routine, and instead, I choose to sleep in until 7:30 am? I would have to grab a quick shower, eat a donut or cereal for breakfast, and then still be at my desk at or around 8 am. But, how would that choice, made on a regular basis, impact my life?

  • Physically, I would be less fit because I would not be getting a regular routine of exercise.
  • Spiritually, I would be less fit because I would be missing my daily Bible readings and devotional materials.
  • Mentally, I would be less fit because I would not be preparing my mind with new and wholesome information each day.
  • Professionally I would not be able to produce my podcast.
  • Nutritionally, I would be less fit, and I would probably gain weight and become less healthy because I am not eating a wholesome breakfast.
  • Emotionally, I would be less fit because my body, mind, and soul, which are all integrated, are not receiving their proper nutrients that are needed daily.

This one simple choice to get up at 4:45am each day and follow through with my morning routine sets the entire day on a proper trail for me. It also allows all other choices, large or small, that I need to make for the day to be done with the proper mindset because I have taken care of myself physically, spiritually, mentally, professionally, nutritionally, and emotionally.

Through this simple exercise, you can see that there really are no small choices because the accumulation of small choices adds up to very big consequences, both good and bad.

Taking Ownership of Your Actions

Sometimes, you may not recognize that you do have a choice because the circumstances are daunting. They overpower you to a point at which life looks like it is just a series of constraints, and you don’t see yourself having any power or choice over what you are faced with. It is to be understood that the choices you have available to make today may be constricted because of the choices that you have made in the past. Even with this realization, you also need to understand that tomorrow’s choices will be based on the choices that you are making today. It may require that those very difficult choices and sacrifices be made today so that you will have the freedom to make better choices in the future.

You can either react in a helpless manner, which is still your choice, or you can gather your resolve to take action to obtain the outcome you desire. The first scenario will lead you to become a bitter, disjointed, unhappy person who gets a limited experience of life. The second scenario will lead you to live life proactively, making things happen and creating results you want to see. As with all aspects of life, the choice is yours.

Sometimes I hear people complain about how they dislike what they are doing. It seems like a badge of honor with them. I am convinced that some people just enjoy complaining or playing the martyr. Yet when they are asked what choices they are making today so they can have a better tomorrow, they come up with a whole list of reasons to justify why they haven’t been doing anything about their situation. In their mind, they think, “I don’t have a choice.”

To obtain success in any or all areas of life requires that we make wise choices in all areas of life so that our life is in balance. The seven areas of life where we need to make wise choices are Spiritual, Family, Physical/Health, Mind/Intellect, Personal/Social, Financial, and Work/Career.

If you keep thinking you have no choice over your situation, that’s exactly how it’s going to remain. You will always remain powerless over your life circumstances. You will be powerless because you refuse to accept and take responsibility for what you are doing. Your life will not change unless you take ownership of what’s going on in your life through the choices that you make.

When you recognize that your life is your life and everything you do is inherently a choice you make, that’s when a shift will occur in how you behave in your life. Rather than blame the external environment for what you are facing, you take action and become proactive in getting what you want. Rather than feeling victimized by your situation, you will gain power over it, one by one. Things will start shaping themselves into what you want them to be because you are actively working on them.

As we reach our plateau for our two-week focus on choices, here are some questions for you to ponder:

  • Is there anything you are doing today that you would like to change but you feel “there is no choice”?
  • In these cases, what are the other options you could have taken in the past but didn’t for some reason?
  • Do you see that whatever you are doing is actually a choice you made in the face of a previous circumstance?
  • Moving forward, what is your proposed plan out of this difficulty?
  • What are some immediate steps you can take to start moving toward more desirable choices?

No matter how things may seem, you always have a choice. Only through accepting responsibility for that can you finally progress toward what you want.

Most mornings I would like to sleep in! But the subsequent consequences because of that choice outweigh my desire to sleep more. The choice is real.

Here are a couple of examples of good choices that all of us can make taken from the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 8:10, “Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold.”

Proverbs 22:1, “Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.”

Choices, choices, choices – we make them every day. Some are small choices, some are large choices. All choices are important, so choose wisely. As we have finished our focus on choices, we will next explore a topic closely related to the choices we make, which is why integrity matters. Encourage your friends and family to join us on our 5 day a week podcast: Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

You Always Have a Choice

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In our previous Wisdom Note, we provided some practical advice for a younger generation. This week we will explore the subject of choice. If you miss any of our Wisdom Notes, please go to the blog to catch previous installments.

Have you ever said, “I have to do this,” or “I need to do that,” or “I have no other option,” or “I have no choice.” This can apply to anything in life, from your reactions to being in a predicament or even looking for solutions to small problems. The most common context I hear this phrase being used in is when people are doing work they dislike. As an example, they remain in the job because they need a stable income to support their expenditures and their family.

While you may think you have “no choice,” I think we would be wise to rethink this phrase when we are prone to use it. All of us always have choices, and we are making them every day, every minute, and every second.

You Always Have A Choice

I agree that you no longer have any choice or influence over what has already happened in the past. Those choices have already been made. However, you always have a choice in how you think, what you say, and what you do from this point forward. To use a gaming analogy, you can’t change the cards you are dealt, but you can change how you play them. Some of the cards that we currently have in our hands may also be the result of how we played them in the past.

Let’s look at an example. Say, you are in an accounting job you dislike. You want to pursue your passion of starting your own business. However, you have financial needs and responsibilities to fulfill to your family, which makes your source of income from your accounting job very important. You are in your current situation, based on your previous choices, so in order to pursue your passion, you must make the choices that will set you on the path that will eventually allow you to achieve that passion.

You may think, “How can there even be a choice? I have to remain in the company. If I don’t continue working here, I wouldn’t have the finances to support my family and pay my bills. Any other options are just not practical.”

Of course, you have a choice, but all choices have consequences. You could quit your job today and pursue your passion. That choice may be irresponsible if your family is dependent on that income. You could choose to stay on for now because you feel the benefits of staying on the job outweigh the benefits of quitting. The choice that you could make in this situation is to downsize your lifestyle for a period of time so you can live on less. You can also choose to start putting money aside now and prepare for a time when you can make the change while still being responsible. This choice may have to be a long-term plan. If it is truly your passion, then it will be worth the wait.

You Make Choices All the Time

We make many choices every day of our life that will impact us. Some choices have become routines or habits, and we do not give them much thought. To change your life, it starts with the small choices that we make each day. Since I know my morning routine better than I know yours, let’s break down the various choices I make on a regular workday. I am nearly 64, so don’t make excuses for yourself. It actually starts the night before.

Choice #1 – Before bed, I always lay out my exercise clothes so I am not stumbling around in the dark the next morning trying to find them. This sets the stage for me to keep my commitment.
Choice # 2 – I wake up at 4:45 am. I usually feel really tired but choose to get up. The snooze button is not an option for me.
Choice # 3 – I go to the bathroom and get dressed for exercise.
Choice # 4 – I exercise for about 90 minutes, which includes 15 minutes of various types of muscle-building exercises and 75 minutes of cardio running on a HIIT training machine.
Choice #5 – I listen to scripture reading, devotional materials, and inspirational podcasts while on the treadmill. (Smartphones are great.)
Choice # 6 – I shower and get dressed for the day.
Choice # 7 – I record my podcast for the next day.
Choice # 8 – I eat a healthy breakfast, which usually consists of a nutritional protein drink or eggs and a handful of baby carrots.
Choice # 9 – I am at my standing desk at 8am ready for the day’s activities.

Although it has become my morning routine and habit, do you see that everything I do each morning is actually a choice? Actions, whether they are benign or life-changing in nature, are all choices we make. When you undertake a certain path in life, it is a choice you make.

Next we will look at the impact and potential consequences of a scenario if I make a different choice #2 and do not get up at 4:45 am. Through this, you will see that there really are no small choices because the accumulation of small choices adds up to very big consequences, both good and bad.

As Proverbs 2:11 tells us, “Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.”

Ecclesiastes 10:2 says, “A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one.”

We are continually making choices every moment of every day. Some choices may seem small and insignificant, but the accumulation of those choices may have a great impact on our life and legacy.

As we ponder how you always have a choice, we realize that it really is up to ourselves. Next week we will continue on our trail of choices as we investigate how the impact of one small choice change in my morning routine could have a major impact on my entire life. So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

Advice for a Younger Generation

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In our previous Wisdom Note, we learned to accept responsibility using the phrase “The Buck Stops Here.” In this note, we will provide advice for a younger generation. If you miss any of our Wisdom Notes please go to the blog to catch previous installments.

In times like this, it seems like only one thing is on our mind. Right now, that is Covid-19. Our lives are on hold for the next couple of months, and this is something most of us are not comfortable with. It gives us time to pause and reflect on how short life really is and how important it is to live our positive legacy each day.

Since I will be 64 this summer, I am reaching the age where I have gained enough experience and wisdom to be able to understand certain truths about life. Our current crisis will be over eventually, and life will resume with some normalcy. Some of this advice may have to be delayed for a time, but not forever. If you learn the following truths while you are younger, they will help you to live the rich and satisfying life that we are designed to live at every age.

So whether you are 5 or 105, here is…

Advice for a Younger Generation

  1. When you are in your 20s through 50s, you won’t feel like you are that age. – Adults are just older children. When you get older, you won’t feel as old as you imagine you will. For the most part, you still feel exactly the way you feel right now, just a little wiser and more confident. I certainly find this to be very true. Don’t fear growing up. Look forward to it. It’s awesome.
  2. Bad things will happen to you and your friends. – Part of living and growing up is experiencing unexpected troubles in life. People lose jobs, get in car accidents, and sometimes die. The smartest and often hardest thing you can do in these kinds of situations is to be at peace and be filled with compassion. When bad things happen, you may feel like becoming angry. Instead choose to be wiser and more disciplined. Remember that emotional rage only makes matters worse. Also, remember that tragedies are rarely as bad as they seem, and even when they are, they give us an opportunity to grow stronger.
  3. Everyone can make a huge difference. – Making one person smile can change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but at least that person’s world. So, start small and start now.
  4. First impressions aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. – Everyone and everything seems normal from a distance or at a glance. The 10th, 20th, or even the 50th impression is when you start to truly understand someone else for who that person truly is.
  5. Big results come when you narrow your focus. – Concentrate your efforts on smaller and smaller areas. In other words, niche down. When your efforts are diffused over a wide area, they won’t have much of an impact. So, focus on smaller areas, and your efforts will be felt more fully. It could take time for change to happen, but keep that focus narrow.
  6. Love yourself. Become your own priority. – Strive to be the “you” you want to be. Nourish your body, mind, and soul. Invest in self-improvement every day until you die.
  7. Sometimes you just have to go for it. – Put your uncertainty and fears aside for a second and ask yourself this, “If I try and I don’t get it right the first time, what will I have lost and what will I have gained?” The answer is, “You will have lost nothing but a little bit of your time while gaining an important lesson that will help you get it right the second or third time.” People rarely get it right the first time. The people who are successful are the ones who did not quit.
  8. In order to get, you have to give. – Supporting, guiding, and making contributions to other people is one of life’s greatest rewards. Everything you do comes back around.
  9. Not much is worth fighting about. – If you can avoid it, don’t fight. Step back from arguments with your spouse, family members, or neighbors. When you feel anger surging up, and you want to yell that vulgar remark on the tip of your tongue, just close your mouth and walk away. Let yourself calm down. You don’t have to be right or win an argument. It just doesn’t matter.
  10. Don’t try to impress everyone. – Purposely impressing people is an act that brings nothing but a momentary ego boost. Be real with people instead. Connect with fewer people on a level that is deeper and more profound.
  11. Keep having fun. – Fun is way underrated. With all of life’s responsibilities, fun will sometimes seem like an indulgence. It shouldn’t be. It should be a requirement. Make time for fun in the everyday pleasures of life. The real fun does not have to be expensive, and many times it is free.
  12. Keep it simple. – There is a world of magnificence hidden in simplicity. Pick the five most important things in your life now and focus on those things. Let the other stuff go. Stop the busyness and really enjoy what’s important to you.
  13. Little things stick with you. – So pay attention to them…Watching your child sleep. Preparing a meal with your family. Sharing a great laugh with an old friend. This is the stuff real life is made of.
  14. Less advice is often the best advice. – People don’t need lots of advice. They need to live. They need to see others that have lived well so they can learn from their lives. Your life stories, like the answers we give to long essay questions, are uniquely yours. We just need to be a beacon of hope for others. We all just need time to think, be, and breathe, and continue to explore the undirected journeys that will eventually help us find our direction.
  15. Manage your life. – Your situation and environment is ever-changing, so be careful not to confuse things that are urgent with things that are important.
  16. Manage your money. – Don’t buy stuff you don’t need. Don’t spend more than you make. Don’t let your money manage you.
  17. What you learn in school does matter. – While you may not use the specifics of every classroom lesson, every lesson does expand the core thought process of your mind. Over time, you will develop problem-solving skills that are universally applicable.
  18. Dreams will remain dreams forever if you don’t take action. – Don’t dream about it anymore. Start doing it. In 40 years from now, what is it that you will regret not having accomplished, appreciated, or attempted? Do it, appreciate it, and attempt it NOW!

God’s faithfulness in our lives is available with each new morning, regardless of your age. As Lamentations 3:22-24 states, “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!’”

As we ponder this advice for a younger generation, we realize that it is never too late to put this advice into practice, no matter your age. Over the next couple of weeks, we will explore the trails that will teach us that you always have a choice. So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

The Buck Stops Here

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In our previous Wisdom Note, we focused on mastering your discomfort. This week we will explore accepting responsibility, or in other words, “the buck stops here!” If you miss any of our Wisdom Notes please go to the blog to catch previous installments.

The whole space/time continuum really makes my head spin sometimes. What seems like a few days ends up being years, and the opposite is also true. That is certainly the case with the current worldwide pandemic. That is why it is so important to make sure that we are accountable for investing our time wisely to have the greatest positive impact as we are living our legacy each day. One trend, though, that appears to be growing in our modern world is the lack of accountability, especially when it comes to personal responsibility. Maybe it has always been an issue, but it seems that fewer and fewer people are willing to be responsible for their own actions in life. That is why our Wisdom Notes this week we will explore what it means when we hear the phrase…

The Buck Stops Here!

“The buck stops here” is a phrase that was popularized by U.S. President Harry S. Truman, who kept a sign with that phrase on his desk in the Oval Office. The phrase refers to the fact that the President has to make the decisions and accept the ultimate responsibility for those decisions.

It should be no different for each of us. We are ultimately responsible for our decisions. In other words, if you’re a parent, it’s time to act like a parent. If you’re a leader, then lead. If you want to be treated as an adult, then act your age. If you’re a politician, remember you weren’t elected to merely show up; you have a job to do. And if you’re not happy with your standing in life, don’t fault others. Success and happiness begin and end with personal responsibility.

· Take Charge of Your Life

Personal responsibility puts you in the driver’s seat to make the most out of your life. You have the freedom to choose the direction that you want to take, determine the choices that you’ll make, and decide how hard you’re willing to work to achieve your goals. The key is to personally “own” your life, rather than abdicating the responsibility to others. The fruits of your efforts are yours as well, to keep or share, to invest or spend.

Personal responsibility shouldn’t be a burden. It’s a blessing when you assume complete responsibility for your life’s successes and failures. We will all have our share of both. Hard work and commitment are required. If you want to lose weight, start with diet and exercise. If you want money for retirement, begin with a getting out of debt and committing to saving. If you want to be successful, you must possess the knowledge, integrity, work ethic, and determination to win. There is no genie in a bottle and “your ship is not going to come in” unless you build it.

· Get Motivated

Life is not a spectator sport, but some people sit on the sidelines and expect to be rewarded for the hard work and effort of others. If something goes well, they line up to receive the accolades. And if things go bad, they make excuses or find a scapegoat to pin the blame on. Life doesn’t work that way. If you’re not willing to make the personal investment and sacrifices required to be successful, then don’t complain when you don’t achieve success. Using the farmer’s analogy, if you don’t plant in the spring, don’t go looking for the crops in the fall. They won’t be there.

If you take a chance, and you succeed, you reap the rewards of your success. If you take a chance, and you fail, you have to accept the consequences. There are no guarantees in life and just because you’re willing to work hard for something, you still may not obtain success. Here is the key that you must understand, by accepting ownership rather than abdicating your responsibility, chances are you’ll get closer to your goals.

The fact is that the world doesn’t owe you anything. If you want something in life, you must work hard and earn it. Even then, you must be willing to accept the responsibility of the outcome, good or bad with humility and grace.

The fact is that the world doesn’t owe you anything. If you want something in life, you must work hard and earn it.

To have the possibility of success begins with a positive attitude. Here are some principles to get you on the right trail each day:

1. It’s your choice.

If you want your life to be different, change it. If you’re waiting for something to happen, it won’t without your efforts. It’s not enough to think about what you want to do, or worse yet complain. Get up and do something about it!

2. Believe in yourself.

One of the things that may be holding you back is a lack of self-confidence. If you don’t have the confidence in yourself, why should others? It may be time to invest in yourself so that you’re proud of who you are and what you represent.

3. Raise your game.

What additional skills do you need to achieve your dreams? Take an additional course, or do self-study if needed. Find a great role model to emulate. Turn every experience, especially failures, into a learning opportunity. In today’s ever-changing technology environment, if you’re not learning something new each day, you’re becoming obsolete.

4. Actions have consequences.

Think before you act. Then accept responsibility for your behavior. Remember, you own your choices. The decisions and choices that you make every day have consequences. In almost every situation, you are where you are today because of the choices you have made in the past. If you don’t like where you are, then from today forward make different and better choices and accept the responsibility for those choices.

5. Be accountable.

Give everything your best effort. When things go well, accept your well-deserved rewards, and when they don’t, make peace with it. Get back up and shake off the dust. Don’t point a finger when mistakes occur. Admit fault, learn from your mistake, and then keep moving forward.

6. Be self-reliant.

Everyone gets into a bind once in a while and may need a helping hand getting back up. That’s okay, and graciously accept it when it happens. Don’t let it translate into a life of dependency. If you break a leg, use crutches for a few weeks to get back on your feet. But you shouldn’t lean on the crutches forever.

If you break a leg, use crutches for a few weeks to get back on your feet. But you shouldn’t lean on the crutches forever.

7. Failure is a part of life.

As Vince Lombardi once said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” Accept failure as a part of life. As I said earlier, learn from it, and keep moving forward.

We will do well to take the exhortation from Paul in Galatians 6:4-5, “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.”

Let us revive the motto, “The buck stops here!” and be willing to accept personal responsibility in all areas of our lives. This ties into our next Wisdom Note when I will share some advice I would give to my younger self. In addition to our weekly Wisdom Notes, encourage your friends and family to also join us on our daily podcast – Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

10 Ways to Master Your Discomfort

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In our previous Wisdom Note, we focused on learning to be comfortable with discomfort. This week we will expand that concept with 10 ways to master or overcome your discomfort. If you miss any of our Wisdom Notes, please go to the blog to read past newsletters.

Let me ask you this question, “Are you the master of your discomfort, or is it the master of you?” Here are 10 areas that you can help you learn to be comfortable with discomfort.

1. Avoid procrastination.

We procrastinate to avoid something that’s not comfortable, but if you can learn to stay on that task, even if it’s not comfortable, then you can master procrastination.

2. Exercise.

We avoid exercise because it’s not comfortable. We need to expand our comfort zones a little at a time. As an example, add one or two sit-ups, push-ups, or leg lifts to your total each week. We can make exercise something we’re comfortable with after a little repetition.

3. Writing.

If you want to write but always seem to put it off, that’s because writing is often difficult or less comfortable than checking email or social networks. Start with writing one paragraph a day, then expand on it as you gain more comfort. Stay with the discomfort, and you’ll soon be writing volumes.

4. Healthy eating.

It’s amazing how much our taste buds can change over time as we gradually get used to healthier foods. That means going through small periods of discomfort, but it’s not that bad in little doses. Push yourself to eat wholesome foods. Your body, mind, and soul will thank you.

5. Prayer and meditation.

We avoid the discomfort of setting time aside to reflect and pray. Start with 5 minutes a day and gradually add to it as you become more comfortable. It’s not that hard — just a little uncomfortable.

6. Waking early.

Waking early means being a little tired for a little while, but that’s not a horrible thing. Learn to get to bed a little earlier and waking earlier will become more comfortable. (Early is what you make it.)

7. Learning something new.

Want to learn something new? That means doing something you’re not used to, which can bring discomfort. Focus on the beneficial results of learning something new and push through your comfort zone.

8. Reading good books.

We tend to avoid simply sitting with a book because we are pulled towards something more comfortable like watching TV or browsing the internet. Books allow you to learn something new or go places in your mind that is uniquely your adventure.

9. Purge debt.

Most people do not deal with their debt issues because it brings discomfort. Not dealing with debt only prolongs that pain. Start by listing out your debts and bills, making a simple budget, and then sticking to it – no matter the discomfort in the short term. There are few things in life that are as comfortable and liberating as having no debt.

10. New adventures.

When you stay within the walls of your comfort zone, you are missing out on new experiences that might be a little uncomfortable at first but can be so beneficial. Discomfort can be the joyful key that opens up everything for you.

The primary reason that most people will not push past their discomfort is because of fear. Fear can cripple us. Within the Bible, there are over 350 instances where we are encouraged not to be afraid. One of those verses is Isaiah 41:10 where God tells us, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

As you consider the 10 ways to master your discomfort, you will experience a change in your life. Next week we will explore a new trail as we learn what personal responsibility means. In addition to our weekly Wisdom Notes, encourage your friends and family to also join us on our daily podcast – Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.