Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Choice and Human Nature




Choices, choices and more choices, life is full of them…. getting married or divorced, changing houses or countries, starting a new job or leaving one, becoming a parent or staying childless. Forgiving someone or staying bitter, going after a dream or saying no to an opportunity. Starting a new healthy life style or becoming an addict. Keeping the same job forever, staying in an unhappy relationship, shouting at your neighbor, refusing to see your reflection in the mirror, etc, etc.

Everything we do or don’t imply a choice, by acting or not acting we are still making a choice. Every choice brings change and every change gives birth to something new in us. We are choosing all the time. Choices are made consciously or unconsciously, whatever the way, we still make a choice. We can’t avoid making a choice, the simple fact of not making one is still indeed a choice - because we are choosing not to choose… So there is no escape and none to point fingers at, whether we like it or not we are ultimately responsible for everything that happens to us. There is no choice about that - it simply is as simple as that!
Then, why are we so afraid of change? Why are we so stubborn on keeping safe? Why do we pretend nothing changes? Why we blame others for our own doings? Why do we act as if we don’t have a choice?

Such is our human nature!

When the time to face change arrives, we tend to get paralyzed and unresponsive. We have the feeling of standing at the border of the precipice, unsure of the end result. We don’t know if we are going to fall or not, if we are going to be strong enough or if we will be defeated.
Change is something we can’t control, it is happening whether we like it or not. The time for regrets or lamentations are over, there is nothing we can do to change what it is. There is nowhere to hide or run away to, what is happening is happening and that is it.
This is a critical moment, since our next step will determine the course of the change, if it will be a positive or a negative one, something to grow out of, or something to crash us down… It is all a matter of attitude, choice and action, the wheels of change are in motion and nothing can stop them.
Sitting still while hoping for a miracle will not sort things out or make them disappear, so probably the smartest thing to do, will be to embrace the change and make the most of it. Sounds crazy and poetic, but in reality this is the only way to go.



© 2010 Gabriela Abalo

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks for the stuff i am inspired.

Gabriela Abalo said...

Welcome to the blog Bull,

It is good to remember that we always have a choice, even if we don’t want to.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson

“God offers to every mind its choice between truth and repose. Take which you please - you can never have both.”


The final choice is always ours.

loveNlight
Gabi ~

Kass said...

I absolutely agree and embrace everything you've said here. I've said something quite similar in my latest post, but not as eloquently. I wish one of the choices I had right now was whether or not to take a big break, but I have to hang in there for awhile.

Unknown said...

Change is. Change is growth. Growth is beneficial though the circumstances of growth may cause pain. With growth we become strong enough to deal with change. Change is. At those times when change is denied than growth is also denied. No growth makes us weaker and unwilling to face change. I spit in change's eye and say "just bring it".

Gabriela Abalo said...

Dear Kass,
you do have the choice to take a break, but for now you are choosing to stick around and keep helping others, which is ok.
Just don't try to be perfect and allow yourself to take it easy so you can also have joy on what you are doing.
By helping others we are also helping ourselves.

Hang on there!
loveNlight
Gabi

Gabriela Abalo said...

Dear Tag,
I just love your comment - especially the part where you "spit in change's eye and say - just bring it"
That is the spirit of change and growth!!

Thanks for the smile you put on my face just now! :)

loveNlight
Gabi

jeeva said...

The truth many choose not to see. Makes the journey all more interesting.
Thank you Gabi..

Gabriela Abalo said...

Welcome to the blog Jeeva.

so true... a truth many choose not to see... which is still a choice after all.
Such is the paradox of life.

loveNlight
Gabi

Darshan Chande said...

Someone has rightly said, change is the only constant thing in the world.

A nice read! First visit on this blog. Liked it. Keep writing, Gabriela :)

Gabriela Abalo said...

Welcome to the blog Darshan.

Change is indeed the only constant thing in the world… then why are we so stubbornly going against it?

Thank for the encouragement!

loveNlight
Gabi

jeeva said...

When the time for change arrives, we tend to get paralyzed and unresponsive; these are the times we tend to surrender, some know to what while some does not know they are in a surrender mode at all. If at some point of our daily life, we learn to surrender to the divine nature, for direction, then the surrender becomes a choice for making choices.....

Nice reminder Gabriela.....