It's a Choice.

In my field, psychology, one of the central premises of making sense of human thought, emotion and behavior is quite simple yet also complicated: We choose how we respond. Of course, the picture is muddied by the complexities of the human brain, neurological anomaly, abuse, life experiences, psychological disorder, etc., but generally speaking, in life, human beings have a strong element of choice in how they respond to their circumstances.

I was reminded of this truth today. My kids went outside, and I thought they were walking the puppy. Then, they each came in with gorgeous and plentiful handfuls of bright pink flowers.


My initial thought was: Where did those flowers come from? We don't have flowers like that....and then it hit me.....the hanging flower baskets. As I walked out on the porch to check out the situation, my suspicion was confirmed. Sure enough, the kids had pretty much picked every flower off one of my hanging baskets so they could present their bouquet to me. As I felt the angry words rising, I thankfully stopped them. Look at their smiles. They had done this out of love and kindness for me, their Mommy, wanting to surprise me. They had not done it out of obstinance or disobedience or malice. They did it with pure motive. And I could choose to embrace their giving spirits...... or crush their spirits in one fell swoop. Thankfully, I exercised self-control and chose to embrace it, embrace them, and thank them for the beautiful flowers.

So many times, we can choose how we respond. Right now in my life, I have two friends who are choosing to live with joy and faith, despite grim prognosis in their battles with cancer. I know others who are choosing to live with joy despite unemployment and severe illness and financial problems. Thank God, He gave us the gift of free will, and He allows us to exercise it. So, how will YOU choose to respond today? I challenge you to take one situation where your first inclination is to be angry, negative, and critical.....and choose joy instead. After all, the joy of my children are worth far more than any hanging basket (whether with flowers or naked!).

Wow, this is POST #200 here on Half-Baked. And I am CHOOSING to celebrate! My next post will mark this milestone....I'm not sure how yet, but I'll dream up something!