Let's Talk

The Difficult Choices I Need to Make

Listen to this episode of the Focus with Marlene Podcast:

Get caught up with all episodes in the Making Life Work For You series


There are days I don’t want to get out of bed or go to work or face another day of caregiving.

I don’t feel like being kind to my neighbors or overlooking minor irritations.

I don’t want to know I can choose to forgive or be responsible for how I react to others. It is much easier to blame.

I’m tired of working through all my problems. I don’t want to make the tough choices required of me.

And yet, would I really want to give up the freedom I have to make those difficult choices of getting up, forgiving, and working through tough problems?

I may feel like doing the opposite, but I know I wouldn’t be happy just doing what I feel like in the moment. Every day, I am blessed that I can make tough choices, difficult though they may be.

We want to avoid things that are unpleasant. Yet that is part of life. Knowing that the decisions I make can have either a positive or negative outcome encourages me to look carefully at how I make those decisions.

Here are some choices that impact our lives.

We choose our attitudes and responses to any life situation.

  • Bitterness or gratitude
  • Resentment or extending grace
  • Negative comparisons or personal self-worth
  • Anger or reconciliation
  • Anxiety and fear or faith and promise
  • Belief in God or being my own god
  • Integrity, honesty, generosity or self-centeredness, greed, “what’s in it for me” attitude

We choose our mindsets and patterns of behavior.

  • What I can do vs what I can’t do
  • Focus on finding solutions or remaining helpless
  • Acceptance of events and moving forward or resisting and remaining stuck
  • Personal responsibility vs the blame game
  • Forgiveness vs revenge
  • Assessing options and taking a risk vs remaining in panic, fear and worry
  • Focus on similarities and agreement vs division and differences
  • Grieving our losses, our past and letting go of traumatic events vs remaining stuck

We choose our lifestyle.

  • Letting go of old scripts and toxic messages
  • Self-discipline and regulation instead of whatever feels good in the moment
  • Principles and values vs whatever the current culture dictates
  • Long term goals vs immediate gratification
  • Developing good friendships, mentors, and safe environments

What choices are you facing today?

What attitudes would empower you? What core values and beliefs will help you through the tough spots?

Reflect, define, let go of what doesn’t work and be blessed.

Leave a Comment