Eight Choices You Can Make Today that Will Change Your Life Forever

by Chris Widener

 

The history of free men is never written by chance, but by choice – their choice.
~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

The above quote is one of my favorites. The direction of our lives is determined by the choices we make everyday. They accumulate and add up to our ultimate destiny.

 

The choices we make are the result of character. You can have a wonderful personality – you can be full of wit and possessed of agreeable manners – but without character, your glib tongue will only succeed in getting you into trouble. The quality of the choices you make will determine the quality of your life.

 

So what are you choosing? Does your life look the way you want it to? Or do you find yourself living in reaction to a series of tough situations, being tossed around from hazard to hazard like a pinball? The kind of life you experience is really up to you, and it starts with the quality of your choices.

 

Here are eight choices you can make – choices that will create for you a life of abundance and prosperity in all areas.

 

1. Choose to grow personally. This sounds simple but many people only wish to grow personally. They never choose to grow by taking action, such as actually exercising, saving more money etc. Make a decision today to be a person who is on the never ending journey of personal growth.

 

2. Choose to become balanced spiritually, emotionally and physically. Our lives are best when we have these three major areas in balance. Spend some time cultivating your spirituality, becoming emotionally healthy, and physically fit.

 

3. Choose to always treat others right. We come across all sorts of people, many of whom will treat us poorly. We can choose to treat them right, no matter how they treat us. When they lie, we will tell the truth. When they cheat, we will play by the rules. We may get the short end of the stick some times, but in the long-run we will win. And most importantly, we will be able to sleep at night.

 

4. Choose to break a bad habit. Take the biggie first. Tackle it head on. If you don’t know what it is, ask a friend. Then spend every effort you can to break that habit. Forget about the others, as you will get to them later. Stop smoking, get out of debt, lose your excess weight. Exercise the power to choose!

 

5. Choose to work smarter. Many people I work with feel like they are out of balance. One of the first things I do is try to find out how much time they are wasting at work, which makes them work longer, which throws the rest of their life into chaos. Getting your work done by diligently working in the time you have will free your life up extraordinarily.

 

6. Choose to see your work as a way to help others, and not a way to make money. If you put your heart into helping others, the money will most assuredly come. Spend time helping others grow and your finances will grow with it.

 

7. Choose to sow more than you reap. There are many takers in this world, but our lives will be better as we become givers. The world will become better as we become givers. Give away your time, give away your money, give away your love.

 

8. Choose to get home for dinner more often. The family is the most important group of people you will ever belong to. Make a decision today to grow in your relationship with your parents, siblings, spouse and children. This one choice you will never regret.

 

By choosing the content of your character, you can choose the type of results you see in your life. Why not make a commitment to yourself today to write your own history. By consciously choosing the most constructive actions available to you, you can shape the course of your life.

 

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and author who has shared the podium with US Presidents, helping individuals and organizations succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams.