We all have high hopes, aspirations and dreams of a certain kind of life for ourselves and our loved ones. We all wish to be successful in our lives. We dream of receiving the best education from the best university, securing the best grades, earning the best job, having the best companion and leading the best life. Often I encounter questions like: Why am I a failure? How to achieve success? How to be happy? Why do I always feel frustrated? How can I fulfill my dreams? The latest one being - I have every plan chalked out perfectly well but when it comes to implementation, I tend to procrastinate and waste time due to mundane distractions. The answer to all these is the golden three word phrase 'Power of Choice'.
Our existence depends on our choices. Our choices are bound by constant laws that do not change according to our opinions or demands. Consider Issac Newton’s Third Law of Motion which basically states – “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. This law, which applies in its respective scientific area, has even greater application in relation to thoughts, speech and action.
Our thoughts, speech and actions have a great affect on the world around us. Because of our capacity to convert our thoughts into speech and action we have the power to determine the direction of our lives rather than simply act according to the dictations of the nature and impulses of our bodies. We can identify people in history who have brought about good fortune or terrible destruction, depending upon whether they used the power of choice with responsibility.
Right from the moment we wake up till the time we retire to bed, almost every moment encompasses a choice we have to make. Some out of these may be small while others may be big. But each preference we choose to select leads to a result that we would have to face at some point of time in the future. For example, we know that we must brush our teen every morning. So after waking up this again is a choice whether to brush or not. If we choose the second, over a period of time the effects would be visible which could be so serious that it may land us at the dentist's clinic. Hence, we must choose wisely, be accountable for our own choices and not hold anybody else responsible for our current situation.
As human beings, Lord has given us the power of free will, and with that power comes the responsibility for the speech and actions we choose.
The choice we make is a seed. It is like a little acorn today which will grow into a magnificent oak tree tomorrow. The choices we make is a decision. We don’t just chose. Based on certain criteria or factors, we decide what to choose. The choices we make today has the potential to determine our destiny, our fate, where and how we will be tomorrow.
Sometimes we will come across situations where we will be at ease. At other times there will be difficult situations where things will be beyond our control. In either case we have to accept the situation and make choices which will bring us closer to God.
Sometimes we will be honored and sometimes we will be criticized. It is said that for one who has been honored, dishonor is more painful than death. But for one who sees a divine reason behind it, dishonor can be more blissful than honor, because life is not about whether we are being honored or dishonored, life is about how we respond to each of those situations. There will be two paths always, and one will be easy – for its only reward is that it is easy.
When it comes to practical implementation, I always ask my counselees to follow the Litmus Test - i.e. We must perennially keep God or Krishna at the centre of everything we do. When faced with a dilemma, regarding the course of action or choice to adopt, always ask yourself that by engaging in this act, is it going to bring me closer to God or is it going to pull me away from Him. You will automatically get your answer. The litmus test helps us choose the bonafide path which thereby ascertains that we achieve everlasting peace, happiness, success in life by effectively and prudently leveraging our Power of Choice at every step.
We have many choices. We can choose forgiveness over revenge, joy over despair, or action over apathy. You can choose to curse God or thank God. Which is your choice? Every choice will have an end result. It is the summation of these choices that with determine the quality of your life.
So at every moment we have a choice; an opportunity to spend that moment wisely in the service of the Lord. Such God conscious moments are an eternal investment in our lives.
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