Choices

It amazes me how many choices are presented to us on a day to day basis and how the quality of our lives is a function of the consequence of these decisions. Our experience of making these choices can be easy or hard, where the choices arise can be internal or external, the choices themselves can be simple or complicated, and the state in which we make these choices can be conscious or unaware. No matter how difficult making choices may seem or whether the choices arose internally or not, we live with and sometimes simply live our consequences.

Our experience of choosing can range from an easy decision such as "do I eat healthy tonight or not?" to a hard one, "do I continue to pursue what I know or venture into something new?". The choices can arise internally when we ask ourselves "am I deserving or not?" or it can arise externally when we are asked, "would you like coffee or tea?". The context of our choices can be as simple as "shall we watch this movie at home or at the theater?" to something controversial and profound such as "are you pro-choice or pro-life?". Not to mention the state of mind in which we are in when we make these choices. Sometimes we choose after a great deal of thinking and processing of information - "do I agree with this monetary policy or not?" Sometimes we choose unknowingly, we simply do not ask ourselves "shall I wear shoes to work or not?" but this is a choice nonetheless... If the consequence of our choices gives us the life that we live, shouldn't we be more aware of the questions that are posed to present these choices?

"Do you agree or not?" gives you two options and "are you a Democrat or a Republican?" gives you your presidential candidate and a certain set of policies. "Are you a Christian or not?" provides you with a certain type of ideologies and even a way in which you live your life. Why is it that the nature of the questions in our world are usually binary or finite at best? What if the quality of our lives or the "truth" actually lies somewhere in between those choices? I am not suggesting that we shouldn't choose, but it seems to me that if choices can be posed in a question that provides infinite answers, then the consequences that give us the type of life that we get to live can also be limitless. Next time when you choose, think of the possibilities...