“I had no choice” is a statement of mindset rather than a portrayal of reality. We always have a choice, but we rarely travel down that road.

A more accurate statement is: “I don’t have a choice until I recognize there are choices.”

Recognition is the key to unlock choice.

There is a difference when you justify an action by saying, “I had no choice” vs. asking, “What were my choices?” The former suggests no options; the latter recognizes there are but you couldn’t see them.

The key to seeing them is to give more than lip service to knowing they are there and actually taking time to consider and select from the ones that present themselves.

What kind of ice cream do you want? Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Cherry Garcia or Watermelon Mango Surprise?

More than likely, you had an instant answer to that question. Either you picked a flavor or picked none because your favorite wasn’t listed. The real question is: Did you fully explore what was presented? The answer is almost always, “No.”

Fully exploring is trying each option on for size or in the case of ice cream, taste. Did you mentally taste all the presented flavors or did you automatically default to your favorite? If you picked vanilla without considering the other flavors, you are, in effect, saying, “I had no choice.”

This is more than about ice cream.

We wind up in a box of our own making with limited choices because we default to the choice that makes us. It’s called conditioning.

When you start to recognize that your conditioning is making your choices, you’ll begin to see more choices. Once you see them, it’s time to consider them. Once you consider a fuller array of choice, you’ll have a fuller life.

“I have no choice” is a conditioned lie. You’ll come closer to the truth when you recognize your conditioning in action and pick from a fuller menu.

Baskin-Robbins, anyone?

 

All the best,

John