learning to choose.

The older I grow, the more I realize that not all of life is dictated by circumstance or presumption. 

We choose our response and we choose our perspective. 

And for those assertions of life that we do not choose, or perhaps would rather not have chosen, we have a decision of reply - control over our retort. 

 Today, I heard someone say the most profound thing. They said, "Growing up is learning to choose." 

And it struck me as such a profound statement. Because it really is so true. 

I realize that the more I grow, the more I learn to approach things slowly. The more experience I gain, and the more miles traveled, the smaller attention I pay to the trivial and trite. 

I am learning to sit and savor more. 

I am beginning to take joy in things like long conversations at the dinner table after a slow, delicious meal; I stand and watch sunsets for minutes and minutes on end - simply because I can. 

I am learning to smile more. Because I realize that smiles are some of the most beautiful things ever. 

The long, and winding journey becomes my favorite, and unknown adventures become a delicacy. Because most times, the uncharted path is the best - and the charted path never ends up the way we plan. 

Life's lens gets much larger...

 because I am learning to relish every part of it. 

I'm learning how to choose - how to choose utter joy and contentment in every circumstance. 

I'm learning how to choose a fresh pair of glasses every morning, so I can see the world with new eyes. 

I am learning to choose gratitude. 

And today, am I thankful for that choice.


"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things in life that are the real ones after all."
Laura Ingalls Wilder