I was thinking recently about choices.
I sometimes feel I shouldn’t sit and reflect too much, but at my age, when you have free time, you tend to contemplate various issues.
One of the things I was thinking about recently was how all the decisions I have made up to this point have led me to where I am today.
They have led me to:
- who I am
- where I live
- my friends
- and many more.
All this has come from choices I have made in the past.
Now, am I happy?
Too right, I’m happy.
I’m very grateful that I was born with the sunshine gene. My mother used to tell me you walk around with rose-tinted glasses on, and I love it, and I still have those glasses.
In saying that, I do know reality and understand what’s happening in the world.
I keep myself updated with world and local events, so I know what’s happening.
I’m not in La La Land as such, but I always look for the good in people; I always look for the good in things and always think that there is; how can I put this? It’s like the sun is always shining, regardless.
It doesn’t matter if it’s storming or a cyclone; the sun is always shining because you get up beyond it, and there you have the beautiful blue skies.
It’s like there is yin and yang.
You know, there are two sides, negatives and positives, and there are always two sides to everything.
And we always have a choice, regardless.
We always have a choice in how we react to things.
So you can be bitter and twisted about something, or you can choose to be happy.
I used to always tell my children when they asked for something, and I said, no, you couldn’t have it. (Nine times out of ten, I would explain why they couldn’t have or do it.)
But if the answer was “no” and they packed a tante getting all upset saying “but please, please, please, mama”.
I would say, “Sorry, but the answer is no. Now you have a choice.
You can go away, cry and get upset, be angry or whatever.
Or you can find something else to do, be happy about it, and focus on the good things you have around you.
Ride your bike or draw a picture or something.
The answer is still no. It’s your choice as to how you react to it.”
Of course, they didn’t like it, but they understood it.
Later on, as adults, they told me they used to get so pipped when I said that because they knew I was right.
I learned all this from my parents. My dad used to say:
“You are always in the best place.
It’s the only place you’re in.
So make the best of it.”
It’s that simple; it’s all about choice.
