Do it all or don’t

Every life form except human beings operates by instinct in its genetic code. It has no multiple choice, no other options.

In the winter, the goose flies south. Why? Because he’s a goose. He couldn’t fly west. If you said to the goose that it’d be better to go west, he’d ignore that advice. Why? Because he has no choice. He’s driven by instinct.

Except human beings…

Now, why not us? Because we have given the gift of choice.

We’re not like a robot.

We’re not stuck like a tree, using up all the nourishment and, with nothing left, dying because we can’t change locations. We can go north, south, east, west. We’ve been given the opportunity to choose.

And what do we do with our choices?

Though other life forms strive to grow to the maximum of their potential, do we?

How tall will a tree grow? A tree grows as high as it can, drives down every root it can, produces every leaf it can, extends itself as far as it possibly can.

We’ve (individually and collectively)  been given the opportunity of choice. We can be part of (or all of) what we have the potential to be. Do we choose to grow to the maximum of our potential?

We’ve got choices!

We can do a little to make ourselves comfortable and forget the rest or we can commit to doing it all. (There’s nobody dictating we’ve got to do it all.)

We can do a little, do some, do some more.

We can take advice, but don’t have to take orders.

We can take information, training, or teaching, but we don’t have to do what someone else may have told us about how to live or what we need to own or what we need to do.

Life is full of possibilities and we each choose what we want to experience. We do acknowledge that there are laws that we can’t ignore. (fundamental, spiritual, agricultural…basic laws) And, we know the law of cause and effect is always at work in our lives.

But…

we still design our own lives by the decisions we make and the consequences that ensue.

There’s really no right nor wrong, just  our choices.

So what would make you happy?

• take a little,
• take a lot,
• do something,
• do nothing, or
• ignore it all?

Diverted or Distracted?

We saw the repeated television coverage of Sully Sullenberger’s jet plane landing on the Hudson River due to that flock of Canadian Geese disabling the engines. (or maybe just saw the movie “Sully”..?) Diversions are a choice we make (to head for the airport or to land in the river?) Being diverted is not the same as […]

9 Life Lessons

Did you ever see the email that went viral on the internet called “Life Lessons from a 90 Year Old Woman?” Now, this is a gal I can relate to! And, no, she was not 90 years old. Regina Brett wrote the list the night before her 45th birthday after being diagnosed with breast cancer. She […]

Uniquely Unique

Of course, each of us is different. Different histories, different stories. From your fingerprints to whether you have an appendix or tonsils, you are uniquely you. You are different from everyone else, from your DNA to the kind of morning you had today. And thus no one can understand you completely. And yet… And yet […]

The Gift of Autumn

It’s a strange and wonderful reality that marks this time of the year-one that actually feeds our soul’s need to cocoon, to nest, to hunker down after the sheer busyness of summer. Fall is the fourth and final major sun cycle of the year and it means a time of changing focus and direction in our lives. […]

Wasted Time? Or not!

Do you have “stuff” you’d love to do, but don’t feel you have time for? Is not having enough time your excuse for not accomplishing what you say you want to do? Is there some “wasted” time in your day? Of course, this isn’t you or me ( or is it?)  But check out this information from a […]

A new season and new day!

“September” is such an invigorating idea! (and it’s especially an invigorating month!) It’s back to school and new projects! It’s unofficially the beginning of fall! And though fall is really only 3 months long, that’s plenty of time to look at the “clean slate” that it provides. I invite you to join me and stop “doing” […]

Who’s your favorite grouch?

Some famous grouches: Oscar the Grinch Grumpy Scrooge Maxine Garfield Eeyore Lucy a relative? the boss? you? We certainly have a lot of role models to choose from! And there are lessons to be learned if we are willing.   For example, frowns vs. smiles… After all, we’ve heard that it takes more work to […]

Enjoying life vs. improving life

Wisdom from author E.B. White:  “If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” And […]

Stressed or “Desserts”?

Life is uncertain…  eat dessert first!   I’m a firm believer in desserts first! What else would you expect from a previous chocolate store owner? (My sister and I were smart enough never to hire the applicant who said “I’d give anything to work in a chocolate store!” for we knew we couldn’t afford the loss […]