Choice: The most powerful tool you possess
I recently witnessed a man with a disability. He was confined to a wheelchair and he was using his arms to propel his chair up a hill. The hill was a sidewalk on the side of the road. The person riding in the car next to me was familiar with this gentleman and informed me that the gentleman in the wheelchair was known for wheeling himself around town to get where he needed to go. This gentleman refused help from others and was committed to be as self sufficient as possible. The gentleman in the wheelchair also maintained employment. My companion went on to say that the gentleman in the wheelchair was also known for having a positive attitude and appropriate social skills.
I was both amazed and inspired by the gentleman in the wheelchair. I was amazed because I am not accustomed to seeing this kind of determination in the world we live in today. I was inspired because it became clear to me that this gentleman in a wheelchair was taking control of his own life. He understood the power of choice. He had a choice. He chose to find a balance in life. He chose activity instead of inactivity. He chose optimal health instead of minimal health. He chose to challenge himself instead of feeling sorry for himself. He chose social connection instead of isolation. He chose his own standards to live by and he chose to maintain those standards.
A few weeks later, I saw this gentleman again. This time he was in the parking lot of a local store. The store was located approximately three miles from where I had first seen him. Three miles? Did he wheel himself that far? I watched once again in amazement as this gentleman watched the passing cars waiting to wheel himself across the road. Cars would hesitate for him, and it appeared that one even stopped to offer assistance. The gentleman waved them on as it appeared that he was responding with a polite no thank you. I do not know this man’s story. I do not know why he chooses this. But I do know that he is an inspiration.
We all have the power to choose. We can choose to focus on the positive or the negative. We can choose to be angry or to be productive. We can choose to be hateful or to be kind. We can not choose what occurs in life. We can choose how we want to respond. We can choose life balance. We can choose to care for our bodies instead of making excuses. We can choose to care for our relationships instead of keeping score. We can choose to care for our spirit instead of rationalizing. And we can choose to care for our minds. Caring for all of these will increase happiness and life satisfaction. A higher level of life satisfaction simply starts with you making a choice.
