milestone

Tonight marks a milestone in my short little marriage. Tonight is the first night I have been left alone, all night alone, and be alone while my husband is out of town. Bummed? Sorta. Totally capable? Of course. Whining? Not trying to.

But for the first time in a while, my mind has been racing about decisions I've made in the past, and how it's brought me to where I am today. Some decisions I regret, but who doesn't have life experiences they wish they could re-do? Fortunately for us, (although most people would think of this as unfortunate) a re-do button doesn't exist, and those mistakes are the refiner's fire. Some decisions, on the other hand, I am SO grateful and relieved that I made the right decision.

In a nut shell, my journey down memory lane led me to this: the little decisions we make every. single. day. are what determine where you'll be in a week, month, year, decade. Not too deep, right? Actually, not deep at all. Sometimes it takes a deep thought process to make a simple epiphany hit you to the core. At least, for this little girl it does.

About two years ago, I was in the worst situation I've been in thus far in my life. I made A LOT of decisions then. Some of those decisions were undoubtably the RIGHT choices. Others...well, I still hurt, and cry, and have nightmares, and try to shove them in a back corner of my mine that I try not to open. Other choices were very, very, WRONG.

The funny thing about choices, is that for the most part YOU have complete control. It is YOUR choice. MY choice. Trials don't work the same way. Some trials we bring upon ourselves due to our actions, but others cross our paths that no decision of ours could have changed. Isn't that the beauty of agency? It is completely our decision if we want to do better, and be better, and live with our Heavenly Father again. Choices are in our control. We can't control the decisions of others, but we are in control of ourselves, if we make the conscious effort to do so.

So, I guess my thought for the day, evening, night, whatever time of day it is (who knows!) is that whatever trials do come our way, our choices are what will determine how that trial will mold us, and where it will put us in the future. We may not have control of losing a job, family member, or heck the weather, but we do have control over how that will effect our attitude and future self improvement.

Amber's next personal decision for the day: brush teeth.

Not a major decision, but hopefully this choice will keep me from having cavities in the future.

See what I mean? Choices people, all about choices.

-Amber