Letter from the editor
Free to Choose
Life is full of moments of decision-making and it is the ability to make the right decision that makes for living a fruitful life.
So many times over the years I have faced moments when I was not sure about what to do. This was especially true in those cases where the predicted outcome was pretty much anybody’s guess. When I think back to the catastrophes I have had to face as a result of having made hasty decisions, of which there were a few, I can honestly say that in hindsight, had I taken the time to carefully consider my options, the outcomes would have been very different.
The freedom to choose is one of the joys of living free, but with that freedom comes responsibility. In other words, whatever the outcome, you are responsible. You can exhaust yourself with trying to place the blame of blunders on circumstances or other people, but in the end the buck begins and ends with you.
As a mother, I have tried to instill in my children the concept of being willing to live by the decisions they make for their lives. As an adult however, I can attest to the fact that saying it and doing it are two different things. Living with the messes we sometimes make in life are tough, but with it comes learned- lessons that will shape one’s character in ways that you could never imagine.
In today’s society, everyone seems to be in the mode of hurry up and get it done. And because time is not something that most are willing to invest, it is not uncommon for people to find themselves in messes and wondering how they wound up where they are.
We each have the freedom to choose which paths we will take in life. And although making the right decision takes time to consider all the possibilities, it is something that is well worth investing. A very good friend of mine once shared with me that whenever faced with having to make an important decision to always sleep on it. He went a bit further to say that if it is a good decision today, it will be even better tomorrow, because by tomorrow all of the emotions will have stripped away and you will have only what is important to consider. I never knew then what a wise man the late Stan Smillie was, but as I have matured I have made his wisdom a part of how I make decisions for my life.
There is a very popular saying that goes, “freedom isn’t free.” The thing to remember when making a decision is that the difference between a good and bad decision is time. What it costs you in the long run is whatever you decide you are willing to pay, so make your investment count by choosing well.
How good is that...
Deigratia,
Bonnie