We’re always
complaining about the lack of control we have over our lives. We “gotta pay
taxes”, “we gotta follow the road rules”, “we gotta do what the government
says”, and so on.
Actually, there
are countless moments of choice in our everyday lives. We can say ‘good
morning’ or keep our head down and walk past without a glance; we can say that
mean word or withhold it; we can judge someone harshly or give them some
leeway; we can take out our frustrations on others or step back, take a deep
breath and ‘get over it.’
In all these
instances, the way we behave is totally in our control. Nobody is commanding us
to do one thing over the other. Even God has given us the freedom to choose.
Sure, He tells us what to do and what not to do, but has left the decision to
act or not to act in our hands. I find it empowering to know that I have the
free will to choose what I want to do, when I want to do it.
Of course, this is
not to say that there are no influences on our behaviour outside ourselves.
There are celebrities, actors, pop stars, athletes, and our own peers, all who
tell us in commercials, movies, television shows, music videos, and
one-on-ones, what we should do in certain situations. But even here whether we
listen to their suggestions or not is our choice. We have the freedom to say,
“sorry mate, but I think your way of doing things is not right.”
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