On Choice

“I dwell in possibility.” Emily Dickinson

In our imaginations anything is possible.  Sometimes our night dreams are an extension of those imaginings.  We conjure up images of vacations, vast wealth, great fortune, friends surrounding us with nods of approval and so much more.  That is why we embrace external changes with such gusto.  Buying the new I-watch will bring us closer to what we know we can become. The same can be said for any acquisition, experience or discovery.   The downside to innovations is becoming overwhelmed by their pace.

Let’s face it, life is challenging.  It takes a strong swimmer to keep up with the currents of change.  From watches to cars, innovation comes at a breathless pace.  Some of it we welcome.  Some we do not.

In the classic Marx Brothers movie, “Horse Feathers,” Groucho loudly sings, “Whatever it is, I’m against it!”  Frankly there are some times when we want to declare, “Enough already!  I’d like a little stability. Enough change!”

We live between these polar extremes of stability and change.  We want both.  At the same time.

We therefore attempt to navigate life between change and predictability.  For example is it true, “No one likes surprises?”  Sometimes.  I bet everyone has been guilty of saying both, “I love surprises!” and “I hate to be surprised!”

I heard an interview with Avatar producer, James Cameron. He noted that NASA’s motto is “Failure is not an option.” Cameron takes the opposite view.  He says that failure is an option. What is not an option is lack of imagination. Cameron distills the argument down to its basic idea: We must find our place in the world of change.  While retaining our imagination, our dreams of what can be, we need not jettison our personal life’s choices.

An illustration: A sales manager assembled his team for a pep talk.  On the screen was a big white spot with a single black dot in the middle.

He asked, “What do you see?”  All replied, “A big black dot.”  The manager said, “That is a poor outlook.  Look at all the white space surrounding it.  Those are all possibilities which are far greater than the dot.”

As sales manager he was correct.  The job of the sales force is to make sales, see more potential customers.  But that does not have to be our outlook.  We can choose our own path in life. 

I hope you take time this summer to mull over the life you choose, your soul’s path.  All things are possible but the choice is always in your hands.