Expansion

Expansion and enlargement are the natural byproducts of growth. And this applies to your choices as well. I mentioned before, there are two types of choices: those with power, and those without. Choices that are powerful are loaded with intention and commitment. Those that are powerless only appear to be choices, but they are not.

For example, you chose what clothes to put on this morning. Or did you? Was there really a choice involved? If your choice was merely 'choosing' the outfit that was clean, or the one that was closest to the front of the closet, or the one that you've worn a thousand times before when the weather was just as cool (or hot, or rainy) as it is today, was that really a choice?

If your choice is merely picking which well-worn path to walk, is that really using your power of choice? Didn't you make the choice about which outfit to wear when you purchased it at the store, when you added it to your closet in the first place?

And, then again, didn't you make that choice years before then when you made the choice to only buy certain outfits, certain sweaters, and certain brands? By limiting yourself to a certain subset within a broader category, you have purposefully stopped expansion. The cowboy who only wears Levi jeans has already chosen against designer jeans, so it doesn't matter what he picks to wear out of his dresser drawer, his choice is limited.

The power of intention is the personal power/confidence/inner strength that comes to us when we choose outside of our normal routine. It is a confidence that arrives as fear but then grows to something larger through acceptance. It is an inner growth that occurs when we allow our subset of choices to be increased.

Does that mean that the cowboy has to wear designer jeans every day? No, of course not. He does however have to be willing to change. If he's not able to change, then he's stuck. And that is not growth.


Assignment: Make a choice that is outside of your normal subset in a certain category. If you're going to a restaurant, then don't go to one of the five that you always go to - go somewhere completely different! If you're driving home from work, don't take the same route that you always take - take the long way! If you're applying for a job, apply for one that is completely outside of your comfort zone - you just might get! Join a new club, take a new class, visit a new friend, etc.

Expand your subset of choices, the subset that you chose decades ago, and watch yourself grow today!


I'd love to hear what you think.

The Powerlessness of Unintended Choices

We each make a million choices every day. We choose what clothes to wear, what food to eat, what TV shows to watch, and how fast to drive. Every day we each make thousands of choices.

Or do we?

There is a wonderful secret to success known as the 'power of intention.' The New Agers state that when we are fully committed to a goal, the universe will help us to achieve it. But, they tell us, we must be fully committed. We must INTEND to achieve the goal. Wishy-washiness does not inspire the universe to help anyone. :)

Well, there is some truth to that. We are not to be double-minded (James 1), and we are to do things with all of our might (Ecclesiastes 9:10). And, God himself does reward us when we step out in faith to accomplish our goals. Faith means that we put ourselves out there. We step into the overflowing Jordan, knowing that failure means death, but we do it anyway. And the river parts. That is the power of intention. It is something that appears to be built into the spiritual fabric of our universe. It is a principle.

Jesus spoke about intention and commitment in Luke 9:62, "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Now, about those choices.

Are we really making a choice when we wear the same clothes that we've always worn, eat the same foods we've always eaten, and drive to the same job that we've always driven to? Are those choices or habits? Are they packed with the 'power of intention' or are they just so many ruts in a well-traveled road?

The power of intention lies in the choice to do something different. When you feel your knees knocking a little bit, when you've got something to lose but you do it anyway. When you step out in faith.

Intention without action is just a wish.

So, the question must be asked: When was the last time that you really made a choice?

Let me know about it.