Essay Example: The Choices We Make Influence Who We Become

Looking through life, I have this feeling that what people turn out to be is very much a result of the choices they make over time. Every single day, people make choices. Among many decisions/choices that we regularly make include but not limited to; what we eat, where we live, what we believe, what we wear, where we go, choices about our close friends, how we spend our time, our career choice. These decisions taken cumulatively can be analyzed in two different ways, which largely impact on how people might end up. On one hand, choices can lead to the formation of habits, which may end up defining the kind of life that we will eventually live. On the other hand, one single choice may transform ones kind of life to an entirely different one within a matter of minutes.

Habits are fundamentally right or wrong choices made over time, to the extent that they become part of us. Good traits such as honesty, trustworthiness, handwork, transparency are not an event in life. They occur over and over again until they become part of someone. If for instance, one decides to stand for what is right today, it is not an indication that this is what he will do for the rest of his life. For that to happen, the choice to do good has to be done consistently over time, till it becomes part and parcel of him/her. The same can be said of bad habits such as racisms, dishonesty, and even laziness.

It is true that people do not always become what they have done for a better part of their life. Life changing decisions, such as deciding to be a member of a church, or going into rehab can help shed off bad habits and take on good habits. It has to be remembered that the good habits will be shed off if a choice to do the right thing is made on a consistent basis. The same can be said of good people turning out to be bad. It takes consistent actions, and not a single one.

It is also possible that one single choice can determine how we turn out to be. For instance, the decision of whether or not to go to college is an essential one. It will determine what kinds of opportunities will open up in life, and what opportunities will pass over because one is not qualified to take them. The same can be said of business as well as careers. Choices made at the time of uncertainties may end up shaping our lives for a long period to come (Posner, 2016). For instance, not all investments made by businessmen are beneficial. However, the choice to pursue some investments may turn out to be more profitable and even shape future life. The same can be said on wrong investments that makes one lose their life savings.

Regardless of the choices made or opportunities one had in life, the power of human will cannot also be discounted. People are born into poverty or obscurity, but they end up pulling themselves out and living successful lives. One needs to look at the life of 44th President of America, Barrack Obama. I like the fact that he came seemingly out of nowhere to become the President. I attribute it to human will and self-belief. But even so, this is clearly a choice made. He could have pursued another path. Likewise, people do lose all their possessions to natural or human-made calamities, but they do not give up. They do not let failure define their destiny. The fact that they can pull themselves out while others sink deeper is a manifestation of how choices can influence our lives.

References

Posner, R. (2016). A New Way of Living. Chicago: Routledge.