The Choice is Yours!

See positive possibilities in the week ahead

I love listening to Chris Stapleton. Even if you don’t like country music, you must admit — he can sing anything!  Take “A Simple Song” for example. It’s got classic country themes about a guy who:

• is always behind in his work

• has a sick dad he wishes he had time to fish with

• saved some money but then had to fix his broken-down truck

• doesn’t get along with his family

• is hooked on cigarettes

• has a sister who got laid off from work

To top it off, he has high cholesterol (I can identify!) But then… he steps back and sees the good in his life: his kids, his dogs, and his relationship with his wife.

If you’ve kept reading this far…thanks for hanging in there! Here’s the point. This poor guy has decided to settle and feels like he has no agency over what’s next. He’s a victim of his circumstances. In truth, each of us has things we’d like to be different about our lives. We can lull ourselves into a sense that says we have no control. Is that true?

Viktor Frankl said that “between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom”. You do not have to mark time in life, letting one day float past the next. In most situations, you can take a measure of control and shift your mindset.

How would your life change if you focused on what is going well? What if you saw the possibilities in the day ahead instead of what isn’t how you’d like it to be?

Here are some intentional choices I’m making that might be helpful to you:

• I’m being mentored by others through reading books, listening to podcasts, and asking questions of people I know. It’s expanding my mind (This is an excellent book for those of us who have been around the block and still want to make a difference! https://a.co/d/ce1RM65 )

• I’m laying aside things that have no lasting value. I’ve decided I’m okay with being late to the party on the latest binge-able streaming show. You have to give up certain things to make time for what is more important.

• I’m making myself useful. When I focus on my problems, it’s like climbing down into a dark hole and sitting there by myself. One of the best antidotes I’ve found is being helpful to others! Each week, I meet with at least one person to see how I might add value to them. Don’t pat me on the back for this. It’s almost an unfair advantage — like self-therapy!

Am I perfect at this? Nope. Just ask my wife, Susanna. However, no matter your age or life situation, you have the potential to make different choices that will make your life better. If you are not satisfied with where you are, don’t be OK with the status quo. Make one different choice this week! If this was helpful to you, please comment here and share with another person.

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Other than Whitney Houston, Chris sang the most amazing National Anthem I’ve heard at the Super Bowl earlier this year. Here it is in case you missed it!