Imagine bellying up to the counter at your local Rita's Italian Ice and asking the server for "whatever you think I'd like."
Of course, you wouldn't do that. With a rainbow of Italian water ice flavors tempting you, making a choice between flavors such as cotton candy, birthday cake, mango, Swedish fish, and or pink lemonade might be difficult, but you'd do it.
Granted, not many of life's choices are as lightweight as choosing between fruit punch and blueberry, but what you choose and how you make choices, or don't make them, is as central to your self-esteem as taking responsibility for yourself.
Choices come in two flavors:
• Active — when you make something happen and live with the consequences
• Passive — when you "choose not to choose," and continue to live with the status quo because the stakes appear too high for any changes choice might bring.
Active choices can be painful; feelings of fear and vulnerability often accompany these decisions. Just because we know what's best for us doesn't make it any easier. This kind of choice-making is risky, too. The most difficult choices don't have any absolute right or wrong; there is no perfect solution. It takes great courage to face these hard decisions.
On the other hand, the postponement of choice can have serious backlashes in the way of stress, depression, discouragement, apathy, and even physical illness. Procrastination seldom has any favorable results.
We are glad you haven't procrastinated reading RDH eVillage each month, and we are excited to announce that RDH eVillage will be published twice a month.
Two RDH eVillage newsletters each month for the price of one! Complimentary! Please continue to connect with us so we can continue to learn how we can enhance your eVillage experience.
Kristine A. Hodsdon RDH, BS
Director, RDH eVillage
