The Art of Choice

The art of choice is something that I desire to master.?

What do I mean by the art of choice? I think that making choices is not just a mundane or practical act but rather a skill or craft to be mastered. It implies that there is a depth and sophistication to decision-making, perhaps highlighting the importance of mindfulness and intentionality in the choices we make. This suggests that choosing isn't merely about selecting between options but also about understanding the consequences and impact of our decisions, and maybe even finding beauty or fulfillment in the act of choosing itself. The reality is that choices never disappear and that can be seen as a burden but I aspire to view this from a different perspective.

When I say that I want to master the art of choice I mean that I want to be so in tune with myself that I can confidently pick an option amongst others and know that it is the right one. This also means that once I make a decision I stick with it and move forward with my life as if the other options never existed.?

At this point in my life when I am faced with making a choice, I usually contemplate in my head for a while and am able to rule out a few options. Then I seek a second opinion from a close friend, my parents or my sister and then I continue to silently contemplate in my head and once I make a decision I usually spend more time silently contemplating if it was the right one. This process occurs in my head multiple times a day and I can’t say that I enjoy it.

Once I noticed how stressful this process is, I came to the realization that the art of choice comes back to your relationship with yourself. How we perceive ourselves influences the choices we make, as we seek alignment with our internal identity and aspirations. Unfortunately, how we perceive ourselves is greatly affected by our worries about what others think of us so aiming to make choices that you believe may align with your identity won’t necessarily be as authentic as you may think because the quality of your decisions is intimately linked to how deeply you are connected to yourself. Cultivating a healthy relationship with oneself, marked by self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-acceptance, empowers us to make choices that resonate with our authentic selves and lead to fulfillment and growth. You can try for your entire life to be the best at making solid decisions but if you don’t take time to look inwards, these decisions won’t get you the result you are looking for.

I have a long way to go before I can say that I have mastered the art of choice but one thing I have realized while pondering this subject is that a simple choice can get you out of almost any situation. Becoming aware of this has led me to worry less about difficult or stressful situations and it has provided me with a sense of peace. I try to make an active choice to switch my perspective from “I have to make a choice” to “I get to make a choice.”

Now at this point you might be thinking why is this girl so obsessed with the concept of making choices, and I understand where you are coming from, but when it comes down to it, most of our life is determined by decisions so to me it makes complete sense to delve deeper into this. I choose to think deeply about mundane things and I encourage you to do the same because it develops a unique appreciation of life that might be foreign territory for you.