Power of Choice

In his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey, states that, “In the space between what happens and how we respond, lies our freedom to choose. Ultimately, this power to choose is what defines us as human beings. We may have limited choices, but we can always choose.”

If we have the power to choose, then we are what we think, not what we eat. 

Recently I was motivated to enroll into a 9 month public speaking course called Mastery in Action. I meet twice a month for ninety minutes each time, with my cohort, four of us all together, and my instructor via zoom.

I enrolled in the class because I am motivated to learn how to be a better public speaker. But around class # 3, as the assignments got tougher, I began to doubt whether or not I’d succeed. 

It wasn’t my cohorts nor my instructor’s fault that my emotions switched from excitement to frustration, from being elated to being overwhelmed, or from being hopeful to feeling stressed out. 

It is a hard cold fact, but a fact none-the-less; we are the ones who choose our thoughts that propel us toward or away from our actions.

 I knew that if I let my feelings of frustrations take over, I’d paralyze myself from progressing in the class. I’d lose my motivation to finish what I started.

How was I going to move forward and make progress in this Mastery in Action class? 

Ever hear of Carol Dweck? She is a professor of psychology at Stanford University. Her research focuses on why some give up in the face of failure, while others thrive. Her research shows that the way we think about intelligence affects our motivation and achievement. Not only that, but Dweck’s research shows that it is possible to change our mindsets from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. 

Here’s how a fixed mind set thinks; there is no way I can do what is expected of me. I don’t know how to download documents or speeches so that I can send them in an email. 

A growth mindset thinks like this; Hmm, I wonder if I can find out how to transfer my voice recording from my phone onto my computer so that I can send it off in an email.

A fixed mindset is similar to how a pessimist thinks; I’m going to fail, so I might as well not even try.

A growth mindset is similar to an optimist’s. I think I can find a way to do this. I know someone who might be able to help me. This feeling of stress will not last forever. The more I learn, the easier the class will get. Just because I don’t know how to do this does not mean I am stupid. 

Along with checking in with our thinking when we face adversity, checking in with our attitude is a good idea too. Our attitude is a mental posture we choose and choosing a particular attitude over another affects everything; our approach to life, our confidence, and our ability to get up and do something or not. 

Why Bother?

Why bother being grateful for the power of choice? I like the way Henry Ford simplifies our power of choice: “Whether you think you can or can’t you are right.” 

an idea.

P.S.  I wrote the story of my journey to forgiveness for those who, like me, know they need to change, but are not quite sure where to start. You can find A Heart’s Journey To Forgiveness at Redemption Press and Amazon.