Questions That Lead to Freedom: How to Make Courageous Choices

Prison destroys choice.

Where to go, when to eat, what to wear, communicating with loved ones. When I lost power over these choices, I lost the freedom that’s inherent to them.

I’d never given much thought to choice until then. I took choices for granted and coasted on auto-pilot.

I took the easy way. I hid from the hard way.

After I burned my life to the ground, I understood the power of choice to destroy a life and the power of choice to rebuild it.

Every choice we make is a sacrifice.

By choosing one action, we forgo another. Choices are not always black and white. There are a lot of grays.

But there is an underlying theme:

Easy vs. Hard.

Fear seeks the path of least resistance, the easy way out. Easy choices are nearsighted. Focusing only on that moment, with no regard for the future.

The easy path promises the allure of immediate pleasure, satisfaction, and comfort. Who wouldn’t want that?

The easy path gives you an immediate reward: a shot of dopamine.

But, quick highs fade quickly.