The Choices We Make
There are many things we can’t possibly see when we make a choice. The immediate result is clear and straightforward but the many ramifications from that choice, well, those are difficult to foresee, aren’t they?
And yet, I have found that sometimes, those ramifications and collaterals bring the most pain in the long term. The things you can’t expect or the things you anticipated but underestimated how much they would impact you.
Should you take it in stride accepting that they are a consequence of your choices? Or should you wallow and despair because of what is happening?
I think a middle ground is always a good place to start. I can take responsibility for my choices and accept that they have brought unexpected and painful consequences. I can also accept that I am willing to live with those ramifications and that they don’t make my ultimate goal less palatable.
It’s all about adjusting. I always tell my clients that the first text I write for them will require some adjustments while I get the right tone for their voice and they explain what they truly want. Life is just the same thing.
You make a choice, you go for it, and then you have to adjust while your expectations of what was going to happen change, and you adapt to the unforeseen and the unexpected.
And that’s ok. We are not magicians or fortune-tellers. We are simply humans who can’t plan for everything nor should we. There are good, sad, and bad surprises and they are all a part of who we are.
You’ve all heard of “no pain, no gain”, which I’ve often thought about as I work out.
But I’ve realized it has a much deeper meaning. That “gain”, that “joy” is as pleasurable as it gets because of the pain we’ve felt to get there and the pain we have felt as a collateral consequence of our choice.
And it’s a pain that is worth it when you are sure about the choices you make and the path you take. So be sure and go ahead.
