Little Choices, Big Results

The small choices that we make every day can have big effects. Sometimes, when we are making little choices, we do not even realize how much of an impact they can have. We often consider these choices as trivial, and we think that they do not amount to much. But if we would only take a closer look, we would see that everything we say and do has an effect. We should learn to use our abilities to speak and act in ways that will result in a positive effect for all involved.

For example, suppose you are out holiday shopping and see a gift that would be perfect for a friend you know and like. You and the friend never agreed to swap gifts, but you know he or she will just love the gift. Then you realize that you do not really have the extra money to spend on it. It's not an expensive thing, but you have a large family to buy for, so you walk away and out of the store.

You take a turn into the coffee shop and plop down a couple of dollars to enjoy some special roast. Feels good. When you're done, you get up and head to the next store.

The next morning, you are running late. You don't have time to make coffee, let alone breakfast, so you go to a drive-through window at a nearby restaurant and plop down several bucks and some change.

You also didn't have time to make yourself lunch, so you order out. Bring a snack at least? No, you have to stop at a vending machine, and while you're there, you get a soda pop.

Do you see where I'm heading? If you chose to, you can take these minor events and turn them around in such a way that you would be able to save up the extra money to buy your friend the gift.

First, you can choose to make it a goal to get the gift. Then you can choose to "sock away" any money you would have spent on coffee. You can also choose to wake up early enough to make yourself a healthy breakfast and pack a healthy snack and fruit juice instead of soda pop, and then choose to save the money you would have spent on those items. After a short time, you would have the money to buy the gift.

These little choices don't seem like choices. They seem like things that just happen. And you can rationalize what "just happens." You can tell yourself that since you never agreed to swap gifts, it's okay not to get the gift. You can say that waking up late is okay because you needed the extra rest. You can say that you had to buy breakfast and lunch because you don't know how to cook or don't have the time because you need rest more than nutrition. All of these reasons might be true.

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