The Consequences of Choice

Posted byLisa at Micro of the MacroPosted inCoffee Klatch, Health & Well-BeingTags:, , , , , ,

Our lives are a sum total of the choices we have made. ~Wayne Dyer

Florida has orchids (and lizards!) in abundance. This giant beauty belongs to my mom.

Hello, friend.  How are you?  What’s new for you over these past few weeks?  My experiences this month have been unusually deep, so my post today will be a heavy one. If you’re looking for some light reading today, you might want to pass this one up.

My primary focus this month has been life and death and the choices we make that structure our existence.  Like I said, heavy.  Sitting by the deathbed of a loved one can give rise to that. 

While working with hospice, I learned that a component of the dying process for each of us is a life review: the process of recalling past events and memories in an effort to find meaning in and achieve resolution of one’s life (a description from a paper out of the University of Utah.)  I was curious:  Where in this process is my loved one?  Is the life review detailed at times or one quick summary?  Does he have unresolved conflicts that sadden him even now?  If he never recognized the meaning of his life before, (too many of us don’t, in my opinion) will finding it now feel like being wrapped in a warm blanket or create a sense of having missed out?

Magnolia trees were blooming everywhere. This shot was shared with me by a friend in Michigan who had just visited the South.

After days of pondering, I began to think of how my life review might go.  Will I have regrets?  Will I wish I had reconciled relationships, or at least attempted reconciliations? Thoughts of two individuals popped into my head.  Each of them was a huge part of my life for many years, and I still feel great love for them.  But now, we no longer communicate.  Not even Christmas card exchanges.  I’ve decided to work at bridging the chasms between us.

I’ve also given a lot of thought to lifestyle choices: the environments in which we work and live, the water we drink, the foods we eat, and the activities we pursue.  Each of these is important in its own right, and if you’ve read my past posts, you got loads of info on the reasons why.  But considering all of them together at the end of someone’s life, after witnessing intense prolonged suffering, creates a lump in my throat and brings tears to my eyes.  What if . . .

Moss hangs from many trees in rural Florida. The water bird on the dock is scanning for breakfast.

The profundity of life viewed from this angle inspires me to be more grateful, act with more generosity, and love more deeply.  It’s as though a reset button has been pushed.

Every choice we make, big or small, has far-reaching consequences.  Each one builds on the other and affects us down to the cellular level over our entire lifetime.  I strongly agree with the words of French Existential Philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre: We are our choices.

Blessings,

Lisa

The content of this article is for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified health care professional before acting on any information presented herein. Any statements about the possible health benefits of any subject discussed have not been evaluated by medical professionals or the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or illness.

39 thoughts on “The Consequences of Choice”

  3. Lisa, may your loved one find inner peace during his last moments. Regardless of our age, the present time is the best moment to reevaluate our decisions and relationships. Blessings during this difficult time ❤

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  5. well yeah lisa
    life is a gift
    be she cash or visa
    so you know
    some suffer more
    and we wonder why
    is thus this too
    His will
    i guess
    we must
    then look to heaven
    and triple
    bless
    as per fr evans homily
    to day

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  6. Dear Lisa, your words resonate here just now as my wife faces yet another health issue. I will write again soon, but for now I should mention that tomorrow I’m attending the first session of TM. I found a teacher here, about an hours drive from home. I’ll keep you posted. 🌹🙋‍♂️

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  7. Lisa, this is such a profound reminder of the importance of living life with purpose. I think we will all have things that are unfinished at the end of our lives. I suppose the key is to make sure we at least make an effort to understand which things are most important, and do our best to complete them. Hugs to you!

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  8. So thoughtful and well written Lisa. 

    Sent from my iPad wishing you peace and love,Eileen

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  10. My condolences, Lisa, I pray God will give you and your family peace during this time. Your article is very thought provoking. It makes a person really think about their life and the choices they make. I suppose we never really think about the choices we make and how they affect our lives. Even in the end, I suppose we will all have something to think about. Life is precious. We shouldn’t take it for granted. We should cherish every moment given to us and never forget to say I love you to those who are near and dear to us, and also to those who are just a phone call away. It is good to hear from you. I have some good news to share with you. I am starting college next month😀 This is another dream I get to see come true. I am so happy 😀. Well I have to prepare. Talk to you later.

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    1. Hi, Shaunelius, your kindness means so much. Life is indeed precious. Congrats on starting college! You are so good at making dreams come true. Very impressive. Do you know what you want to major in or are you just testing the waters the first year or so? 🌞

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  16. Wishing you blessings! This is a very good post…a place to pause and reflect. Our choices matter and how we spend our time matters. For some reason, this post made me think of a deep, long river that just goes on and on. You cannot see around the bend. Life is like that. We cannot see around the bend. But, we do have this moment in time, this place in time, and there are blessings that abound in this hour. If we can just be still and lay aside the cares and worries, we find peace. I believe that God wants us to enjoy the river…to make time to splash and play, to feel the warm sunshine upon our faces. The river has scary places, but we must trust God on the journey…He knows the way! (The people we meet, the places we visit, all hold untold blessings for our lives.)

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