
In life we are constantly choosing, constantly making big and small decisions about events that unfold in our lives. Sometimes we are judging and sometimes making choices to act. In Free Will vs Determinism, I discussed how our relationship with choice evolves. Even if we see the world as deterministic, we still make choices about that. If we see the world as completely our choice, we still make numerous programmed decisions.
Programmed choices are what we call learned behavior or habits. Obvious ones like walking and talking, but also moral codes, laws, and prescribed behavior adds filters to our choices. And of course, there is the story, the dominant background agenda we have about our life that deeply affects everything we do.
How we choose is determined by how we perceive the choice at hand and how we perceive our role in that choice. How we perceive is grounded in our value of consciousness. Thus, the clearer our awareness, the better our perception and the more profoundly we choose.
It’s a curious thing about negative determinism. If consciousness is what controls our choices, why do we bother to blame? That goes back to the ego story and the need to make wrong to make itself right. Blame comes down to a vain attempt to feel better about self. It offers no useful understanding of what is.
It’s also notable how we might gnash over life’s big decisions but the little choices are often the ones with the most profound consequences. The funny story that lead to meeting the love of your life. The comment you made off-hand that lead to the job of your dreams. Its the little things that are constantly accruing to form our life as it is.
Choice is a simple matter with profound consequences. We set goals, discuss destiny, consider our purpose, study our motivations, and review possible consequences.
As children, we are taught how to make choices in many fields. We are taught morals and laws, and are often steered towards certain careers. Much of that is traditional, passed on for generations. But that leaves out newer subjects like choosing real estate, credit, or technology. Due to changing mores, we are also now given much less guidance in choosing a mate. Or guidance many reject. Because mores are traditional, they also often leave out things like how to find out or think for yourself. The result is that many people don’t have good choice skills around relationship, home, and finance and many lives and relationships are seriously stressed in these areas.
Many adults go to church for spiritual sustenance but its notable that sermons are often dominated by talks on how to choose rather than how to be. Too many rules around choice often leads to regret and guilt, thus the famous “Catholic guilt”.
The key is to simply recognize that for the most part, we make our choices to the best of our ability in the moment. There is no point in blaming or judging wrong. We can simply see where we might have chosen better. Or go deeper and choose to allow what is. As we move closer and closer into the flow, right choice becomes more obvious and there becomes no need for gnashing or regret. The more we step into what is, the more choice becomes vertical rather then horizontal. Rather than choosing between this or that possible vector on the mesh, we choose “up”. We step into consciousness itself rather than being lost in the details. In that choice, we account for all possibilities and the best outcome is assured.
In choosing all possibilities, we choose the right one.
Davidya
Last Updated on July 29, 2018 by Davidya