Choices

I love the way very profound concepts can often be expressed in very simple terms. We seem to automatically believe that in order for an idea to be life-changing it must be complex. But no.

One of the best examples I've heard came during a discussion I had with a young man we'll call Derrick. He's in his 20s now, but he said that in his middle-teen years he used to hang out with his good friend, Jeffrey.

Derrick and Jeffrey were typical teen boys. They enjoyed sports, video games, and hanging out with friends. Often they were driven to various activities by Jeffrey's mom. Derrick told me that every time they got to their destination, Jeffrey's mom would smile and say goodbye, but always added the same parting comment. She told them: 'œMake good choices.'쳌

Then she would drive away.

Derrick smiled as he remembered this. Now, looking back over time, he has come to appreciate what an important message that was, regardless of its simplicity. He also said that he may have taken it for granted at the time, but now understands the wisdom contained in those three little words.

I think it's a terrific message for young adults. Well, actually, it's a great message for everyone, but for now let's focus on young adults.

When I speak at schools about my foundation, The Big Brain Club, I often talk about how difficult it is for most young people to visualize their future. The average pre-teen and teenager is pretty much consumed by what's going on around them at that very moment; looking down the road at their future is not something they consider very often, if ever. Nor do they want to.

I would encourage you to put just a little bit of effort into visualizing how the choices you make today affect what happens to you tomorrow. In the case of The Big Brain Club it's about the importance of your education; too many teenagers will someday regret the fact that they didn't take it more seriously at the time.

But Jeffrey's mom was looking at it from an even broader perspective. Think about it: so many choices that you make today seem to be unimportant at the time, but have a ripple effect into tomorrow and the next day. Often all it takes is a step back, a chance for you to take one breath and consider what ripples might result from a particular decision. Suddenly you see things from an entirely different angle. Suddenly things matter.

Obviously this doesn't apply to ALL of your decisions, but chances are you can already recall a point in your life where you didn't think of the consequences of something and regretted it later. Don't you wish you could go back and make the wise choice?

Although some will weakly argue that we don't always know the consequences, let's be honest. When we look back along our path, we usually know in our heart when something's wrong. We either think we'll get away with it, or that it won't be that bad. Or, just as likely, we're too caught up in trying to impress others.

Here's your chance to make a substantial shift in your life with one easy exercise. Listen to Jeffrey's mom: Make good choices.

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