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Freedom of Choice

“To desire and strive to be of some service to the world, to aim at doing something to really increase the happiness, welfare and virtue of mankind, this is a choice that is possible for all of us; and certainly it is a good life goal to sail towards.” — Henry Van Dyke


Choices. There is the ‘obvious choice’, the ‘logical choice’, the ‘people’s choice’. There are decisions for ‘opting out’, ‘tossing a coin’, ‘reaching a conclusion’. In fact, there are so many choices that we face throughout our lifetime it can seem daunting at times. But the remarkable thing is one of the decisions that we are served each day is our choice regarding our attitude. Beginning each day with positive thinking and affirmative words and actions can and will enhance goodness in the world.

Take for example the choices made in politics: Our country’s security and stability, our infrastructure and the quality of our services, these are all affected by the choices made by our leaders. Just think, if the ‘powers that be’ would begin each day with an affirmative outlook for the betterment of the people they govern, my guess is that we could gain greatly in bi-partisan actions and restore a national optimistic attitude.

What about the choices made in a Marriage/Union? In the course of a relationship, the choices one makes are not made on a wedding day or from the vows spoken in a church or synagogue, they are made over and over again every day in the way one treats their spouse. In order to achieve and sustain optimism in a marriage, one’s choices need to come from a considerate and hopeful heart.

Mindset is a choice we are given, and probably the greatest choice we have every day we wake. We should strive to maintain a fixed mental attitude and a sunny disposition which will predetermine our responses and interpretations of situations that we come face-to-face with during our days on earth. By adjusting our mindset each morning, we can (and will) achieve a more gracious world; a warmer and kinder world that we will pass to our children.

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