Thoughts: On the Power of Conscious Choices

(Estimated reading time: 5 minutes)

"We reap what we sow."
"What goes around comes around."
"The law of cause and effect"
"Karma"

Every day, we found ourselves hustling and bustling as we delve into a world that only seems to be nothing but full of chaos and distraction. Life is full of sudden changes and we need to make decisions with every turn of a second, that we tend to often forget that our actions can have profound impacts on ourselves and those around us. Also, more often than not, we make decisions that can have negative consequences and unknowingly could hurt people, even the ones that are close to us.

But, although it is true that we tend to make mistakes, as conscientious beings, we still want to create and sustain meaningful relationships. We want to make decisions that have better consequences and that would benefit us and those around us. What could help us unlock the potential of having a positive transformation and change our life into one that is purposeful, full of compassion, and with meaningful connections?

This is where we should consider a concept that is all too familiar to us but tend to neglect or even ignore due to our daily life's complications—that our choices are not isolated acts, they are intertwined into others and weaved into a vibrant tapestry of connection. (The doctrine of Karma has a deeper meaning, yet we can still agree that the concept is closely related to what is being discussed.)

All of those words at the beginning convey the same concept that is all familiar to us—that every action a person takes has consequences, those that can either be positive or negative. Our actions, intentions, and thoughts have impacts on the future. Imagine this: our action and thought is like a pebble dropped into a vast pool of consciousness, and the ripples it made expand far beyond what we can be aware of. Those consequences may not necessarily be immediate, but they will eventually manifest, and depending on what we believe, they will come to us in this life or the next.

Thus, our current situation is a result of our past actions and thoughts. It also means that if we act in a positive way, we will reap the benefits of our actions in the future. If our actions are negative, we will face the consequences. And not only that, our actions are important, but the intent behind them. If we desire a harmonious existence, we should then examine the reason behind every decision we make, for the benefit of many.

But the truth is, this is not easily achieved. As we said earlier, life has a way to be in our way when making better decisions. Our busy lives filled with distractions can make us choose decisions that we later regret. Therefore, as with every discipline we wish to apply in our lives, we need to exert effort and show consistency so we can achieve our goals. This includes a combination of self-reflection, mindfulness, and conscious action.

Let us then consider some of the principles that can help us along the way:

• Cultivate self-awareness: Give time to reflect on thoughts, actions, and intentions. Understand how they may have consequences on ourselves and others. We can achieve this through mindful meditation.

• Question our motive: pause and consider the intentions behind our decisions. Are our motives positive or negative? Do they align with our values? Being honest is essential when we reflect on such questions.

• Practice compassion and kindness: Have empathy and understand the perspectives and experiences of others. Actively look for opportunities to help and support others without expecting anything in return. Remember that our positive actions toward others will also have a positive impact on us one way or another.

• Live according to our values: Reflect on things that matter the most and make them our guiding path to align our thoughts in action accordingly to what is right and good. This will help identify our strengths, talents, and passions and find ways to utilize them for the benefit of many.

• Learn to choose non-violent and harmless acts: This can prove to be very challenging, but with discipline and practice, we can adopt them in thought, speech, and action, promoting harmony and peace in our interactions as long as we keep on being mindful of ourselves.

• Develop a long-term perspective: Realize that the results of our actions are not always immediate or apparent. As the cliche goes, "Patience is a virtue." Therefore, we must be patient and acknowledge that our positive actions will ultimately lead to meaningful results.

• Accept that we can and will fail at a certain point: As we tend to make mistakes and as some days can be extra challenging compared to others, we should embrace the fact that we can fall back into doing the things that we want to avoid. This does not mean that we have abandoned the principles that we have worked so hard to apply in our lives. We should consider such fallouts as temporary setbacks and let us make them opportunities to further improve on the path that we choose to take.

All in all, we can always make better choices if we only become aware that our actions can and will affect our lives and the lives of others. We cannot be perfect, but with continuous effort, we can always change for the better, even if we fail several times. And as we do so, may we become a force for good in this chaotic world, and may the world witness our transformative path.

Thoughts: On the Power of Conscious Choices by Leandro Angelo Castro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.