Choices

The history of free men is never really written by chance but by choice; their choice! — Dwight D. Eisenhower

We make several choices every day.
According to various sources, an adult makes about 35 000 choices a day. I would venture to claim that the first choice we make every day is whether we wake up or hit snooze. I must admit that I have hit ‘snooze’ a few times just to get another five minutes of sleep which never seems to be a good idea. From the moment we make the first decision of the day to wake, we are faced with thousands of choices. We have to choose what to wear, if we want coffee, how we want it, when do we want.

Luckily, most of the decisions we have to make in a day are trivial. They are not that consequential.

Choices are exclusive. Choosing one thing often means rejecting another.

Choices are also determinant. Your choice of restaurant determines what your experience will be. For example, if you go to an Italian restaurant, you are not going there for the butter chicken curry. Your choice predetermines that you will most likely have an Italian specialty such as pasta and whatever you choose will have an Italian touch to it.

Choices are also opportunities. They open up ranges of more choices. For example, if you make the choice to go on a road trip instead of flying. Each of these choices will open up a new array of choices. For example, on the road trip you might choose to spend a night in a hostel or a hotel and meet a great saxophonist performing live. On the other hand, on the plane you might be seated next to your favorite writer and have a conversation of a lifetime.

Choices open up opportunities, therefore it is vital to make the right choices, understanding that most of the times, choosing is rejecting.