Some of you have heard me say this before - “we are who we are because of the choices we’ve made.”  Starting at the ripe old age of about 12, you  began making a string of choices that have created the person you are right now.  

I will grant that the family you grew up with probably shaped not only the way you saw the world, but also how much of it you saw.  But, as a young adult, you could not help becoming aware of a whole universe of ideas and opportunities that are out there for the taking. 

So here you are, somewhere between 25 and 65 living every day in the life you’ve chosen so far.  If you were completely happy with that life you wouldn’t be reading this blog - so how are you going to shape your future now?  Let’s think about making better choices. 

If your life is stressful all the time, start analyzing who or what is causing the stress.  Is it your job, your lifestyle, your finances ?  Or is it  some self-imposed ideals like striving for perfection, believing you have to be a workaholic, and living up to some one else’s ideals?   Once you understand what is causing you to be unhappy, you can  start to think about choices that will  change your frame of mind and the direction you are headed. 

Another approach is to change some of the folks around you.  How long have you known the people you spend your time with? I’m not talking about your partner/spouse and kids - it’s all those other people.  Relatives, neighbors, friends from church or school, cohorts at work all affect your outlook on life.  If you long to break out a your rut, start going places where you can make new friends with new ideas.  Join a club or sign up for a class where you can find people who will challenge your mind and add new interest to your leisure time.  Start to build your “tribe” - a group who will be supportive and encouraging and helpful on your new road.   

And then there are our own bad habits.  My mother used to say that it took the same amount of time to create a good habit as a bad one and she was right.  It doesn’t take any more effort - think about that - it only takes repetition to turn a good practice into a habit.  You can become just as hooked on 30 minutes of morning thoughtfulness as you can on watching 30 minutes of inane morning television.  (And instead of riling you up over politics, celebrity gossip, and a bad economy, it will calm you down and allow you to focus on the good things in your life.)  

Every decision we make has an outcome that moves us further down the road.  If you desire to change your future, you have to start by making choices and decisions that lead toward the destination you have chosen.  Each time you approach a decision, stop and think about it carefully.  Does it lead you toward your goal?