Make Good Choices

Today I was challenged to make good choices. Well, not me specifically, but me as part of the church congregation listening to the sermon. The challenge was to make good choices on how we respond to individuals -- how we treat others. Definitely an important issue, but for me, this went to a deeper level. Am I making good choices for my own growth?

The concept seems so easy. Make good choices. I do that! I choose to wear my seat belt; I choose to eat vegetables (although maybe not as often as I should); I choose not to do drugs. But these are easy choices for me -- so maybe I shouldn't be basking in the glory of making good choices.

When I dig deeper, I must admit I don't always make good choices -- because the good choice is often the hard choice. Sometimes the choices seem to be inconsequential, for example, not taking Rich's hot vinyasa class because it will challenge my practice. I mean really, will my life be forever changed if I never hold Vasisthasana (side plank) while Rich tells some insanely long story? But some of the good choices are much bigger, for example staying in a relationship with someone that doesn't help me grow just because it's comfortable or a habit.

You see many of the good choices are hard because they make us address a fear. Maybe it's a fear of failing (the reason why I don't go to Rich's class.) Maybe it's the fear of being alone (the reason why I stay in a relationship that doesn't make me a better person.) But nobody ever said the good choices were going to be easy.

Often we tell loved ones to "be safe" when they leave. Today, a wise woman said she often tells her children to "make good choices." There is a big difference between those two phrases. One asks you to make choices based on your fear. The other ask you to be bold and truthful with your life choices.

So today, I made a hard choice, a good choice. It was scary to take the first step -- and it hurt a little to do it -- but it was a good choice. Maybe this week, I will choose to go to Rich's class because I do not want to look back at a life full of "fearful" choices. (Or maybe not, because hot yoga -- ick!) Either way, I am choosing to live a bold and truthful life. Maybe by making good choices about how I treat myself, I can begin to make good choices about how I treat others. And while this world has many problems which I can't begin to change, my ability to show a little grace and love toward a stranger in this time of self-obsession and instant gratification could be the best choice I will ever make.

Wishing you a week full of good choices!
Cathy