CHOICES

CHOICES

Choices.  We all make them.  Everyday.  Many times a day.

The choices we make form the journey to our destiny and determine the path for our day.  I admit I let traffic get to me.  I cannot stand drivers who whiz in and out of traffic, drive 100 miles an hour and honk and blink their lights at people going 75, those who pass on the shoulder or get in the wrong lane because they believe their time is more valuable than that of the other drivers. 

Mornings are especially stressful for me.  Especially when I have to cross 6-7 lanes of traffic.   It seems that if I put my blinker on one second before changing lanes, someone takes offense to it and speeds up to prevent me from moving over.  So here I am listening to Gospel music and yelling names at these people and thinking worse thoughts.  Singing about the wonders of God while yelling, “YOU IDIOT!”  Yes, I know it’s a contradiction!  This morning I reminded myself that I am making a choice to let all this upset me.  I can choose to just stay in a calm place and let them do their thing without it affecting me.

I have found this to be true in so many parts of my life.  I made a conscious decision a couple of months ago to stop letting things at home determine my mood.  (I admit sometimes I still fail at this!  Lol)  When a towel is left on the floor, or dishes in the sink, or the garbage isn’t taken out, I ask myself:  Will it take more time to make a fuss about it or just do it myself?”  It’s usually the latter.  I also ask myself, “If it starts an argument, will I even remember what it was about a year from now?  Or even a couple of weeks?”  The answer is always no.

Sometimes the way we approach things and the choice we make in handling a situation makes all the difference in the world in the outcome.  This morning a customer was parked in our drive in such a way I could hardly park my car.  What I wanted to do was pinch his little head off and yell at him.  I thought about it as I walked up the steps to the door.  When I got inside I said, “Could you do me a big favor?  When you park in the mornings, could you move back a little from where we park our cars to make it easier for us to get in?”  It’s only in the mornings I need this.”  Well, he was so apologetic.  Said of course he would.  My choice to be nice resulted in me getting the result I wanted without ruining either of our days.

We are always making choices that affect our lives.  I know most people tend to focus on the big choices of life.  I believe that it is the small, daily choices that truly determine how calm and peaceful our everyday lives are.    It’s a struggle for me.  I’m not there yet but I am working on it.  And what I find is that each time I make the right choice, in an instant, my day is always better.

Try it for yourself.  See what happens.  And feel free to share with me and my readers.  Make the choice to have a great day!

copyrighted 2014

caryn cannatella

Skinny Fiber Sales:  www.caryncann.com