Choices Have Consequences

“A man or woman becomes fully human only by his or her choices and his or her commitment to them.  People attain worth and dignity by the multitude of decisions they make from day to day.  These decisions require courage”.

-Rollo May

 

“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us”.

-Joseph Campbell

 

Much of my youth was spent wanting to grow up, become a priest, and save the world.  Even as a child I had a romantic mind with dreams of far off lands and a life that was anything but ordinary.  It certainly was never my dream to be a claims supervisor in corporate America.  As most of you know it was my youngest son who actually became a priest and now he is striving to save the world or at least a part of the world that is located in southern Kentucky.  I ended up with a very ordinary life although there is still a priest within me.  Regardless of the future we dream, or the life we actually have, we are all where we are because of decisions and choices we have made.  Hopefully we have made some good choices but most of us have probably made a few bad choices for which we may still be paying a price.  There are times I wonder what life I would have had I made different or better decisions.  There are other times where I think I am where I am for a reason and the choices I made were the choices fate intended me to make.  Either way, I am who I am because of choices I have made, people I have met, and things I have done.  Even if I had actually ended up as a priest I wouldn’t be the same person I am today because I would not have had all the experiences I have had, I might not have met the people who have made a difference in my life, and I would have been formed into a different person than I actually am today.  The point here is that choices matter and choices have consequences.  Take care when making important decisions.  We tend to get smarter with age but that is not guaranteed.  If you are young don’t use that as an excuse to be stupid.  The choices you make today, good or bad, are forming you and affecting your future outcomes.