The Life We Choose

Here's the premise: We are all, right now, living the
life we choose.

This choice, of course, is not a single, monumental
choice. No one decides, for example, "I'm going to
move to L.A., and in five years I will be a waiter in
a
so-so restaurant, planning to get my 8-by-10's done
real soon so that I can find an agent and become a
star," or "I'm going to marry a dreadful person and
we'll live together in a loveless marriage, staying
together only for the kids, who I don't much like,
either."

No. The choices I'm talking about here are made
daily, hourly, moment by moment.

Do we try something new, or stick to the
tried-and-true? Do we take a risk, or eat what's
already on our dish? Do we ponder a thrilling
adventure, or contemplate what's on TV? Do we walk
over and meet that interesting stranger, or do we
play it safe? Do we indulge our heart, or cater to our
fear?

The bottom-line question: Do we pursue what we
want, or do we do what's comfortable?

For the most part, most people most often choose
comfort - the familiar, the time-honored, the
well-worn but well-known. After a lifetime of
choosing between comfort and risk, we are left with
the life we currently have.

And it was all of our own choosing.

Peter McWilliams
Do It! Let's Get Off Our Buts
Prelude Press