On Choice

Knowing what you want in life and constantly going for it, without doubt, second guessing or reservation is essential. At times, life just needs a choice, and it asks for a commitment. It calls for an action to be made in order to tip things towards a path, to move and shift things and lift the staleness, the flat quality of things and place some warmth, some trans-formative, fresh energy into your world.

When we sit on choice or decision making, we prolong uncertainty, we feed anxiety and we hush the potential of our lives, relationships and outcomes.

Choices are a healthy part of our day to day, our week to week. They are made collaboratively, independently, coercively and peacefully. The conditions for decision making is not always predictable. At times, we are restless, rushes, fearful, hopeful, desperate, excited, faithful, and confident. Sometimes - all at once.

Our emotional state and the intentions behind our decisions are all in flux and have the potential to lead us anywhere. If we are brave enough to trust that which is within us, alongside that which is around us, we can create a space and a landing point to choose from and navigate with.

It is often said that the present generation is spoilt for choice - in love, in work, in lifestyle and in landscape. Belonging has become transient and impermanent. As we are no longer tied to one corner, one job, one spouse, one village, one house, one family. Instead, we spread and pour ourselves all over - pressing our presence and movement wherever we go.

In my parents time, 'the search' meant the yellow pages, meant meeting fact-to-face, meant one-way tickets to Russia. Today, our decisions are less final. We can return, we can track our heart-rate, our sleep, our friends, our journeys. We can instantly look back on the past years through our phones - recordings, videos and photos. Our lives stored, stomached and stunned by endless possibility.

In my grandparents time, there was no such thing as choice. You did as your parents said. You took the advice the elders of the community gave. You honoured your place - which you were given, not earned and you showed up for each other dutifully and faithfully, without reservation or argument.

Your only opportunity for space or change would be to visit other relatives, dotted over the country and around the world. That is how they travelled - they travelled towards family - not for wonder, passion, pleasure or perfection, but simply to be with each other. And the grievances, obstacles and challenges of life were always brought to and mediated through elders, parents and holy men - not by therapists, social workers or managers. You did not leave - you committed and although your choices were few, there was some safety, some certainty and some guarantee in your place and your future.

Choice is a luxury but it is also a responsibility. Try to acknowledge your privilege when choosing and see it as a power, as a door to nee chapters - rather than a burden or a weight. Choose and choose well.

Remind yourself of generations before and how time can truly be seized upon today - unhindered by opposition, opinion or restraint. Acknowledge the power in that, the innate joy and limitless potential of your movement, impact and breadth of life.

Be free in what you decide - take ownership and joy in the process. You never really know where you will end up. You can try on control and limit risk, but life will still rise up to test you. Welcome the challenge, embrace the change and get to know what you truly want.

Ultimately, choose the partners, the roles, the livelihoods, the communities, the countries, the homes you belong to without intervention or coersion - if you can - and move... Do not sit on your own power and prolong the liminality out of fear, hope or mistrust. Simply take the courage to decide.

Life is for living not deliberating or rehearsing. It is a living breathing thing. Try partake in it, try to create your opportunities rather than preserve and restrict them.

Open up your resources, take the leap, speak your truth and choose...

...For we move in order to be moved.