One thing I find interesting about people is they think choice doesn’t exist in their life. While I would be the first to say that things “are as they are” in most situations, there are always choices to be made. Rarely are we involved in something where there is absolutely nothing we can do and every single choice is a “bad” one. As the stoics have said, in there own way, many times, there is always an “opportunity” of choice to be made in all situations. I find it laughable that people think, whether it’s physical or mental, that they have no choice and all is lost in their current predicament.
As an example, look at health and physical fitness. People make excuses for every single angle of why they are out of shape. Rarely do we hear someone say that they just don’t care and that’s why they haven’t hit their fitness goals. Instead it’s layer after layer of bullshit to cover up the fact that they have no direction or fortitude. It’s the same with the mind or mental health.
When it comes to our daily stressors it’s always due to something “out there” and if this or that was to happen, all would be well. But it never is well and the pattern continues. In other words, people feel they have no choice in the matter so they project their internal problems to the external world. This creates a pattern that never ends. Overall people feel that if the perfect choice is not available, then they must have no choices at all.
They key is to know that even if the choices available are not optimal, that doesn’t mean there are no choices at all. As cliche as it sounds, everything grows out of pressure; and pressure creates choice. Once the choice is made, the future will fall in line with it. As they say, a “bad” decision is better than no decision at all. Realize in all situations that choice exists, or a decision exists that you need to make. Don’t concentrate on the perfect one; concentrate on making one.