Choices

The last two months I have been thinking about one word...Choices! My husband and I are teaching about choices to our two and three year old right now.  We give them a simple choice between two things. Well, I should say simple for us haha. For instance, for a snack we ask do you want a gogurt or crackers? Do you want an apple or orange? Would you like pretzels or string cheese? They then will point at the food, after a time of pondering the options of course, and say "I want that." I have found that it not only helps me because I am able to provide a healthier option, but they also get excited to have a freedom of choice.  

I have recently realized that our days are filled with choices.  Some choices really don't matter in the long run while others could be life changing.  Figuring out what shoes we will wear that day may not have significant consequences...unless you decide to wear high heels to the zoo or an amusement park, hahaha.  Maybe not the best choice :) Then there are choices that could have significant consequences like choosing to have a baby, buying a house, getting married, going back to school or starting a new career. However it's the choices we make each day that show exactly where our priorities lie.  You may hear many say that there is not enough time in a day. That's where prioritizing comes in handy and by choosing those things that matter most to you at that time.

To help me with prioritizing I often think, "Do I need to do this right now or can I do this later?"  I find myself asking this question when I'm interrupted by my kids wanting me to play or asking to be held while I am doing something else like laundry or cleaning.  I stop and think, "What is the priority here?" Many times it is my child that wins.  They are only this small for so long and they will only want to be held for so long.  I figure the laundry and cleaning will always be there :) When I have down time which is usually at nap time and bed time, I find I have even more choices. Hmmm...what will I do with my one to two hours of freedom? What is the most important thing for me to do right now? Should I work out, read, cook, bake, nap, do laundry, clean, watch a show on TV etc. Once that choice is made I go from there.

It's the same in the work place. We prioritize our day by those things that need to get done right away compared to the those things that could be put off until tomorrow.  Which emails can I hold off on, which phone calls need to be made, what meetings should I schedule, etc. Once we hit all of the needs we then go to our list of "put off till tomorrow" and start checking things off from there.

There will always be choices we make that only affect us as an individuals.  This is most of our daily decisions such as choosing what we wear, eat, how long we sleep, exercise, how much time we spend on social media, etc. Others will affect someone else in our life such as a spouse, family member, friend or significant other; like a job change that moves you away, getting fired, getting married, having a baby, buying a house, etc.  There are even decisions you make that could be life changing like serving a mission, doing service in a third world country, helping those less fortunate than yourself, getting married, having a baby, getting divorced, moving to a different country, exercising for better health, recovering from an addiction, etc.

For as long as I can remember I have been making choices.  Choosing the friends I have, the places I live, the jobs I have had, the clothes I wear, the food I eat, whether to exercise or not, what books I read, music I listen to and movies I watch.  I could go on and on but I think we all get the point. Choices are a crucial part of living.  What we want to have or not have in our life is up to us.  We choose which way we desire to live.  Of course this does not mean that we don't stumble and fall at times or need the help of others to counsel us through rough patches.  The great thing about this life is that we have the power to choose. We choose our happiness and sadness. We choose how we want to look at life and how we are going to deal with any situation or trial thrown in our direction.  By choosing good it does not mean we won't see or struggle with hard times.  It means that we always have a choice. We can get down on ourselves, hate the world around us, ask God "WHY ME?", or go with the alternative and we can pick ourselves up and look at the good. We can love those around us and ask the Lord to help us bring more joy and peace to those we love and ask Him how to serve the people around us. 

As you are deciding which choice you want to make in life, here are a few questions to consider...

Will this choice bring me closer to my Savior?  Will it make me happy?  How many people will be affected by this choice?  Will I be a better person? Is this what I want?  Have I sought the Lord for guidance? Do I need to seek counsel or ask for help before deciding?  These are just a few questions to consider while making any big choices in life.  By making each choice we are then submitting our will to the consequence.  Meaning, that by making the choice at hand, we are saying that we will be ok with whatever happens after.

The Lord hasn't left us to do things on our own though.  He has sent angels all around us.  Some we call family and some we call friends.  Many times He answers our prayers through another person. Other times it could be through prayer or by reading the scriptures. Never underestimate the power of the Lord.  He is always willing to help and always there for us when we choose to go to Him.  He will never abandon us.  He wants us to be happy and to succeed.  He may just answer your prayers in a way you would have never thought possible :)

What choices have you made today? What choices will you be making tomorrow?

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Joshua 24:15