You Only Have The Choices You Know About

I am a firm believe
in the concept of choice. I believe we all have choices and that our choices shape our lives. Indeed, our choices create our lives. However, if you don't know that a choice is available, you are not able to select it. This can greatly limit your ability to make the right choice and can create negative consequences. Before making a choice that will have long-term impact on your life, make sure you are aware of all your options. The option you don't know about could have just as much impact on your life as the ones you do know about.

You can't know what you don't know. If you are not aware of options, you simply can't choose them. Choice can actually be overwhelming, and I am a proponent of fewer choices in some cases. I get totally overwhelmed when I go to the store and have to select from so many kinds of toothpaste. At times, it seems like choice is provided just for the sake of choice.

However, there are times when knowing all your options is essential. Although it can be difficult to know all the options, do your research, ask questions and be willing to take your time. The bigger the impact the choice will have on your life, the more you owe it to yourself to find out what all your options are.

One of the most important things you can do is to obtain help with your big life choices. Discuss what you are planning to do with a coach, a mentor, a friend or family member, and ask if there is anything you are overlooking. Share the choices you think you have with your advisor, and ask if that person sees other options of which you are unaware. Because your experience is limited to your own life, you might be overlooking an option you didn't know existed. When I graduated from high school, I didn't realize going to college was an option. I didn't know about student loans and scholarship assistance. I figured that since I didn't have the money to pay for college, I couldn't go. That simply wasn't true, but I wasn't aware of the options that were available. Make sure you do your research, get outside support and be aware of everything that is available to you. You might be surprised at the options you have.

You always have choices. Unfortunately, you might not always be aware of all the choices available to you. Make sure you do your research, ask others for their input and take your time. We all have many resources available. Take the time and effort to use those resources so that you can make the best choice possible, based on the options you know of.