As a child, we don’t see much choice. If something doesn’t go our way, the only way forward we tend to see is to cry. Growing up changes that. In fact, the single best sign of maturity is the ability to view multiple choices in any given situation and take decisions based on those choices. That is why we call adults who throw tantrums overgrown kids. They still haven’t matured enough to recognize that they have the choice to take a step back from the situation and respond like an adult.
While exercising the choice to respond is an example of a choice that can change the quality of our lives, I think the biggest choice we have is around how we interpret things that happen to us.
A lot happens to us over the course of a day or a week. Some say our lives only constitute 10% of what we do. The rest is reacting/responding to events that happen. And, I view our ability to view situations differently as a super power.
Here’s why – there is very little reality. Most of our lives are shaped by perception. If you are training for a marathon and feel your ankle hurting, you can view it as a debilitating obstacle that kills your chances of running a marathon. Or, you can view it as a challenge you will overcome. Challenges are temporary, after all. How we interpret the world around us determines how we will choose to respond. It is a bit like wearing spectacles. We all wear metaphorical spectacles of various kinds. We see something that happens and interpret it based on our lenses and views of the world.
Choosing the color and nature of these spectacles is the most important thing we do. We make that choice. And, it is the most important choice we make.
A Learning a Day 