Choose Better

I had aimed to write at least twice a month, and although I had the ideas and inclination to write last month, I never found the time to sit down and let my thoughts flow.

It’s the second of November, and I’ve decided to let the second article words flow. As with everything in life, I believe we all have a personal responsibility and we all have a choice to do something or not do something about it.

If you think back on your life from where you are now, you’ll see that your present moment and current reality stem from the sum of all the past choices you’ve made.

Of course, there may be good things and bad things happening, some of which we feel we didn’t choose. However, if you look at everything from the perspective of your ability to make a choice, you’ll realize that regardless of the circumstances or situations you didn’t choose or cause, the outcome, what happens next, how those experiences affect you, and whether you’re able to navigate them depends greatly on what you choose to do about it.

This is a very important thing to understand. When I talk about the power we have as humans to choose and make decisions that steer our lives in the right direction (if there is one :)), I don’t mean that we’ll never find ourselves in difficult situations that aren't our fault. Life will always bring circumstances beyond our control.

What I mean is that regardless of these circumstances, you always have the ability to choose to do something, no matter how little or insignificant it may seem, to improve your experience or make things better.

The challenge most people have is that when they find themselves in difficult situations, they adopt a victim mentality. In their opinion, which may appear logical but is actually nonsensical, they believe that because they weren’t responsible for the bad situation they’re in, they have no power to improve it or redefine their lives from such adverse conditions.

This mindset automatically becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The moment you give up and refuse to do the little you can to improve a situation you didn’t cause, you remain trapped in it unless, by some divine intervention, things change. But without such external events, you’ll stay there, believing you’re a victim. You’ll explain to anyone who cares to listen that your situation is due to circumstances you didn’t choose, but explaining doesn’t solve it. It doesn’t change the fact that if you want things to improve, you must make better choices, no matter how difficult they are.

I believe deeply in personal responsibility rather than shifting blame. Yes, you aren’t responsible for everything that happens in your life, but your greatest power lies in your ability to choose, to choose better and work toward a better outcome. The situation may look insurmountable, and sometimes you may think your efforts are useless, but that’s a lie of the mind.

As long as you overlook how scary or difficult the situation seems, and you commit to making better choices and doing what you can to improve your experience of it, you’re doing something significant, the ripple effects of which you may never predict.

Whatever difficulty you find yourself in, study it. Look at it clearly. Identify the patterns in it, especially if it’s something that happens repeatedly. Gain relevant knowledge and decide on the best course of action to deal with it. Then practice choosing that best course of action every time you get the chance.

Knowledge is indeed power; it’s the foundation of all progress, but applied knowledge is even more powerful.

If you see yourself as a victim, you’ll never seek knowledge or choose better. You’ll settle into the lazy excuse that because you didn’t cause the circumstance, you’re justified in doing nothing and so you stay stuck. But that’s temporary. The situation will keep affecting you.

Winners know that no matter what they’re facing, the solution always begins with the belief that they can do something to improve it or at least protect themselves from its effects. That belief doesn’t come from a victim mindset. It comes from a mindset that takes charge and accepts responsibility. It comes from a mindset that believes actions matter and that no matter how big or difficult a circumstance looks, the action you can take at that moment means everything.

They take those actions and place their bet on them. No matter what happens, they don’t stop choosing better, don’t stop doing something about the situations others give up on. And you know what? That’s why they win.

No matter how difficult a situation looks, someone who never gives up, someone who studies, understands, and commits to taking the best actions, will always win.

That’s the only true way we can improve our lives, the human condition, and whatever difficulties we face.

The victim mindset, while it may seem justified, is just an excuse not to take action, not to study, and not to persist.

I hope this encourages you this month to keep going. Your actions, your voice, and your decisions for something better always count, even if you don’t see it yet. It’s working. Keep at it.

Even when you feel overwhelmed, pause, breathe, but always return to taking those actions. You’ll be surprised when the challenge, circumstance, or situation improves or simply fades away.

Keep winning!

— Ike