You Always Have A Choice
“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.” — Theodore Roosevelt
You have a choice; to bounce back from your setbacks or remain trapped in them. The best choice is not always the easiest because sometimes it’s hard to make sense of your difficulties. However, you trust your choices will show you how to navigate the path forward. Do you believe this to be true? Can you think of recent examples where you made hard choices? How did the situation turn out and what lessons did you learn?
Irrespective of whether you give up or get up, you will still face challenges. However, giving up deprives you of self-confidence and you become powerless in the face of defeat. You might feel victimised and believe life is difficult. But you have more power than you realise, and to activate this power lies in how you respond to your difficulties. If you give up, you might experience helplessness and lack the independence to try again. Conversely, there are challenges associated with trying again, but this path is lined with optimism and hope. It represents an empowering future, even though you cannot see it.
To take this idea further: Giving up represents despair, while trying again is a future filled with hope. You can navigate your darkest moments when you forge ahead, even during hard times. The spirit of resilience lights the way and shows you what actions to take each day. Whilst you may not have the answers, you will find your way through. These are the key principles of optimism, enthusiasm, and hope during difficult moments. In other words, it involves cultivating these virtues daily. Regrettably, the future is promised to no one and when trapped in despair, it may seem a better future is unachievable. But every challenge you experience will pass and leave you with powerful lessons to carry into the future.
Choose What Is Optimal For Your Personal Growth
“But until a person can say deeply and honestly, “I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday,” that person cannot say, “I choose otherwise.” — Stephen R. Covey
Are you comfortable with this understanding so far? Can you see you are never stuck in a situation without the inner resources to work through it? Even when you cannot move forward, you can change your attitude, which shapes how you think about your problems. You can always take action, no matter how small it is. There is light at the end of the tunnel because darkness cultivates strength of character and reveals the spirit of hope. To put it another way: You must use your pain for good instead of allowing pain to use you. Pain is a powerful teacher and, whilst unpleasant, it can awaken the wisdom of your soul to transcend human limitations. Therefore, be careful not to become absorbed in your pain for long, but excavate your way out by focusing on the actions you can take.
Here’s another way to look at: To make empowered choices, try to look ahead to the future when deciding. Even though conditions may not be optimal, don’t dwell on it because this is not your ultimate destination. Life can change instantly and sometimes your circumstances will shift quicker than you realise. It is why maintaining momentum through inspired action; is how you get through your challenges. That’s why you should avoid making choices based on how you feel now, because regret will catch up to you later on. That is to say: When you are suffering and need to make important decisions, choose one that will improve your circumstances in the long run. This is because people make less than optimal choices when they experience pain and suffering. It requires thinking about the future from a thriving mindset.
It requires deciding based on your highest interest and what is optimal for your personal growth. To get clear on your choices, ask yourself the following questions: “Who do I want to become in the future?” “What do I need to do to overcome my current difficulties?” “What lessons do I need to learn from these challenges?” Remember: Small steps build great momentum. It is why I have repeated the theme of maintaining momentum throughout this article.
Develop A Mindset Of Optimism And Hope
Don’t let today’s disappointments cast a shadow on tomorrow’s dreams. — Unknown
The human spirit is resilient because it is not bound by the physical world, but by the immaterial world of hope and faith. If you give up, your spirit contracts and it is difficult to get going again. Consider this when you suffered a setback or an obstacle. You may have been unmotivated to find the strength to try again. Trying to find momentum when you’re unmotivated is difficult because you lose the energy to move forward. I’m encouraging you to keep moving through your difficulties and not give up on yourself. It is for this reason, I am drawn to the message by author Dr Alex Lickerman who writes in The Undefeated Mind, about developing resiliency in the face of your challenges: “For in refusing to give up, we refuse to give in, not just to oppressive circumstances, but to the moment-by-moment experience of suffering itself. Resilience, in other words, doesn’t consist only of returning to our original level of functioning after a loss; it also consists of not experiencing its decline in the first place.”
Progress is possible, even when you are caught up in the darkest storms. During these hard times, you gain the wisdom about your life’s journey and it is impossible to go back to your former way of life. You transcend your consciousness and develop a mindset of optimism and hope. I’ve experienced this personally, as well as clients I’ve coached over the years. They talk about a tipping point, which heralded the Hero’s Journey, and it is possible for you too.
Considering this, I invite you to think of a current problem you’re experiencing. Have you considered giving up? Equally, have you considered moving forward with faith and hope? Is it possible your circumstances may change better than you expect? Ancient wisdom shows that breakthroughs occur right before your biggest setbacks. Perhaps you are on the cusp of a breakthrough, without realising it? On balance, even though it is difficult to choose wisely, it requires choosing what is in your highest interest, not based on how you feel. Your feelings and circumstances will change, so it is important to make choices toward a better tomorrow. A future filled with hope and optimism. A future lined with certainty and becoming your greatest self. If you make choices based on fear, you choose based on what you have to lose instead of what you will gain. After all, a promising future must contain the elements of light, hope, and optimism so you can lead with love.
To learn more about becoming more comfortable with uncertainty, becoming resilient and ignoring the temptation to give up see: How to Overcome Your Challenges
