Make a choice: the power of free will
It’s interesting to me that we often think that we have no choice. “He makes me so mad” we say, rather than “he behaves badly and I choose to hold on to the anger that causes.” OK, it’s not as emotional – but it is valid. We may not choose our initial reactions, but we choose our long term emotions.
Here’s some proof…
Have you ever had a day when you look back on it and say something like “I should not have been that angry with her” or “I really was too hard on him”? Just this thought says that you have some control over those emotions that you expressed. Now we may rationalize it away with “well she brings out the worst in me” or “he was really arrogant” or other such nonsense, but the reality is out in the open with that first thought and nothing that we can pile on top of it will change it in any way. Thus, if we can realize that we emotionally over-reacted, it logically follows that we can control that reaction, and if we have control then we can choose to control ourselves or not. It’s that simple.
I am strongly in favor of my right to choose – my right to exercise my free will. I strongly believe that I have the power and authority to make choices that impact every moment of my life. I am overwhelmingly in favor of this idea – not just for me, but for everyone! That’s real “pro-choice”.
So how can I exercise my freedom to choose? This too is simple – but not easy. You simply make a choice – “I choose not to be angry at that, but rather to be calm” or “I choose to love this person rather than to become indifferent” and you keep making it. Over and over and over until your choice becomes reality. And you still keep making it, refusing to rationalize or choose differently.
Does this make me a machine? Without feeling? Without emotion? No, not at all. You can choose to love deeply and passionately and choose not to let other emotions distract you from that. You can get angry when you choose and when it helps you to accomplish what you need to – rather than letting mindless anger tear you apart. You can choose to feel pressure, or make your choice to let that stress roll off your back. In fact, once you accept the fact that you have a freedom of choice and begin to act on it, you will find that you have a choice in a lot of things that you never thought were in your control.
Know that you DO have a choice, you DO have FREE WILL, so use it.
