The Real Con: we all have a choice

A choice is defined as an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities.

Cornell Researchers estimated that the average adult makes  226.7 decisions about food per day. It has been reported that humans nowadays make thousands of choices a day.

Learning to make tough choices is not a skill that we are born with. It is a practice we must develop. We are not only a product of the choices we make, we are a product of the choices that we don’t make. 

“Life is wide, limitless. There is no border, no frontier” - Bruce Lee

Reflecting on the choices we make and the consequences of our actions help us to understand the importance of sacrifice. While life and work are not zero sum games, we do have a limited amount of time, attention, and resources. 

Lee was a young man in constant search of what he called, “honest self-expression.”

He understood the value of continuous learning. He was learning most about himself. He pushed beyond any limit he thought was possible. He learned to make choices about how he would focus his energy.

“I thought Bruce was a brilliant, fine philosopher about everyday living. He was very much into finding out who he was. His comment to people was “Know yourself.” The good head that he acquired was through his knowing himself. He and I used to have great long discussions about that. No matter what you do in life, if you don’t know yourself, you’re never going to be able to appreciate anything in life. That, I think, is today’s mark of a good human being - to know yourself.” - Steve McQueen

When faced with tough choices, are you able to sacrifice short term satisfaction for long term gain? Are you able to act today but plan for tomorrow? Are you working toward a bigger purpose? 

“An intelligent mind is one which is constantly learning, never concluding.” - Bruce Lee

Too often we make choices unconsciously. Too often we do not understand the choices we make or the choices we avoid. When we say yes to certain choices, we are indirectly saying no to others. If we choose to let some time pass, we may lose out on other opportunities. 

You do not need more information to make a better choice. 

You simply need awareness. You need action. You need focus. Make a choice and move forward. 

“The proper function of a man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” - Jack London

What sort of choices are you choosing to make? 

What choices are you avoiding?

Stay sharp,

Michael

#078

The Real Con

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