Making decisions can be daunting.
Not just big life decisions, but all the little ones we often discount. The day-to-day choices that steer us along the course of our lives.
The decisions we make today define the outcome of tomorrow.
The line above is the pulse that subconsciously fuels the thoughts I entertain throughout the day. My most fundamental mantra, serving as a reminder that there are no small decisions in this life.
Our choices create new paths and alter the course of paths existing.
Who we are at our core is projected into the world through the system of choices we make. The types of decisions we entertain serve to outline the inner workings of our individuality.
What we value is often hidden in the smallest of choices we make each day.
How so?
My first integral decision of the day is to drink the 500ml cup of water on my night table. There is no way to drink water first thing in the morning on autopilot. I’ve tried. Gulping or chugging water first thing in the morning will lead to aggressive coughing, choking and sputtering - take my word for it.
Which makes the first few moments of my day meditative.
I sip my water in the dark, slowly, while mentally coaxing my body to wake up.
Why go through the trouble?
I choose to drink 500ml of water each morning, despite how time consuming it is, because I value honouring my body in action, and I want to start the day giving my body fuel.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that my choices align with who I am or what I value.
Then the question for you to answer is why not?
What makes life meaningful is different for each of us.
Myers-Briggs serves as a useful tool to try and compartmentalize us (approx. 7 billion people) into 16 distinct personality types. While seemingly neat and organized, serving as a useful point of reference for those of us who are less socially astute, it's not that simple.
Even when we can draw a thread in our similarities, our individuality is distinct and unique to each of us. Learning to cherish what makes you distinct, rather than similar, unique rather than ordinary, will make it harder to choose according to external expectations.
I'm a cog in the system, my choices don't matter in the grand scheme of things.
It’s easy to lose sight of meaning and purpose in life, when the choices we make are not tied to the essence of who we are and what we value. This might be tolerable for a time, but we all have a threshold that we reach at some point. Why do things just to do them, when you have the ability to do what brings you happiness and joy? Even in the smallest of ways.
To find our way back to meaning, we often need to take the time to question the “why” behind our decisions. Decide which choices to maintain and which choices to abandon, to find our way to authenticity.
Stay true to your inner self.
There is something deeply human in choice and the ability to practice free will. We are more than the product of our baser instincts. We are existential and ephemeral streams of consciousness. Our minds, powerful engines that carve new possibilities, new realities and new societies.
So do the soul searching.
Always be aware of the values that drive your decision-making. More importantly, strive to always make decisions that align to who you are at your core.
Hold on to what gives you meaning and anchor yourself to the choices that align you to your sense of purpose.
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