Suggestions for a Good Life

Choices. You make thousands of choices each day, mostly mundane stuff that you may not even recognize as a choice. This or That? Get up or stay in bed? Shower or bath? Breakfast or not? Facebook or TikTok? What to eat for dinner? And the list goes on.

Some of the choices available to most are important and do impact the quality of your life. These choices should be made wisely.

1. Choose Your Attitude Wisely. In Man's Search for Meaning, Vikto Frankl wrote, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

   Your attitude may not seem to be a choice; at first glance it appears to be an automatic response to a situation. Take some time to notice your attitude and practice choosing a different attitude where needed.

2. Choose Your Words Wisely. Words spoken rashly and thoughtlessly can be the very words you wish you hadn't said. This is especially true when caught up in emotional reactions. Learn to pause and think about what you want others to hear from you. Then speak that.

3. Choose Your Friends Wisely. Oh, what trouble you can get in with some friends! Who are the people in your inner circle? The ones you trust the most and can lean on for encouragement? Is it time to reevaluate this circle?

4. Choose How to React to Emotions Wisely. Here's another place to practice the pause and think. Choose to feel and notice emotions with automatically reacting. You can feel angry without hitting something. You can feel sad without isolating in a dark room. You can feel anxious without avoiding activities.

5. Choose How to Spend Your Time Wisely. Are you wasting time doing things you don't want to do? How much time do you spend scrolling social media each day? What can you do instead?

6. Choose to Care About Others and Yourself Wisely. You may need to find a balance here. Some people may spend too much energy only trying to take care of others, while neglecting their own self-care. Others are too self-absorbed in self that they ignore what is happening with others. Neither is healthy. Choose to practice self-care and to help others as you are able.

7. Choose to Ask For Help Wisely. Look for an expert. If your car stops running, you wouldn't expect a plumber to fix it. If you have a leaky faucet, the local shipping clerk probably can't help. If you need help learning to make wise choices, choose to talk to a therapist for the best mental health benefit.