“Man is made or unmade by himself. By the right choice he ascends. As a being of power, intelligence, and love, and the lord of his own thoughts, he holds the key to every situation.”—James Allen
I am coming realize that nearly everything in life comes with a choice. We may not always have a choice in our circumstances, but we always have a choice in how we respond to our circumstances. One is, indeed, “made or unmade” by one’s choices.
Every morning begins with the decision to start the day with a positive or negative attitude. One’s attitude does shape one’s attitude, after all.
Apparently, the ancient Romans considered it bad luck to get out of bed on the left side. If you got up on that wrong side, you were fated to have a bad day. (Superstition, of course—besides, which is the left side? Facing the front of the bed or from the supine position? Either way, either my wife or I would always be fated to be in a bad mood. I sleep on the right side, so….)
I do think there is some underlying truth to this idiom, however. While it doesn’t matter whether we get out of bed on the right side or the left side (or play it safe and crawl out at the foot of the bed), there is a decision to be made in how we set our pattern for the day. I know that if I am not careful, it is quite easy to slip into negativity from the very onset of the day. Personally, I need to be careful and stick to my morning growth routine. I need to rise early, set my goals for the day, reflect on my mission and values, consider the “opportunities” that the day presents, and, preferably, exercise. This all occurs before the rest of the family gets up. Once the kids are up, and we are rushing to get them dressed, fed, and on the school bus, the challenge to keep cool intensifies. Then, of course, there is the challenge of getting myself through the commute without halting my positive momentum. Every step of the way, though, is a choice. My daughter’s decision to spend too long in the shower and the inevitable challenge of picking out clean clothes presents a decision on my part. If I choose to get upset and yell (which I, unfortunately, often do), that is on me. Of course, one impulsive decision need not permanently disrupt the day. It is a choice one makes to rebound and stay on a positive path. Someone cuts us off? The line between road rage and a peaceful drive is a choice.
The decisions we make tend to be compounding. Choose to “get up on the wrong side of the bed”? You are more likely to continue to make the choices that sour the day. Choose to get up on the “right” side of the bed? Minor disruptions are less likely to redirect our course.
It is freeing revelation to know that we are “lord of (our) own thoughts” and “hold the key to every situation”. With this, however, comes responsibility. There is no one upon whom to place blame other than on one’s self.
Today is an opportunity to have an awesome day. Carpe momento!