Monday, September 28, 2009

Finding What You Don't Want

Standing in front of the glass counter my eyes pan the mounds of chocolates - pecan chocolates, raisin chocolates, pretzels dipped in chocolate, rice krispy treats with chocolate . . . "Uh, m'am? What can I get for you?"

I'm not certain what I want really. It confusing. When you're standing there they all look good. How to decide? It's overwhelming. I start defining what I don't want. OK, no cinnamon gummy bears with chocolate. No butter brittle with chocolate . . .

Finally I walk away happy with my bag empty of "don't-wants". Yes, life is like a box of chocolates. It's tasting and knowing the "don't wants" from the "do wants". Opportunities, friendships, careers, health choices . . . sometimes it is just separating the "don't wants" from the "do wants" one incremental decision at a time.

Relationships and habits are painful and difficult - chocolate is easy. But ultimately paths and destinies are formed by choices. As difficult as it is, you cannot take all paths simultaneously.

I don't want cigarettes. I don't want alcohol. I don't want to be in unhealthy relationships. I don't want my children growing up without God. I don't want to be loved half-way. Don't want to be less of me. Don't want to be taken for granted. I don't want to be stagnant in my life. I don't want to make foolish mistakes. I don't want to hurt people. Don't want to be prideful and blind to my own shortcomings. I don't want to lose my passion for good and right things. Don't want to lose hope.

In the don't wants is a whole lot of information about the do wants. Life will present a lot of chocolate - know thyself. Even if it begins with knowing what you don't want . . . it will ultimately bring you to what you do.