Choices in life

[Bahasa Indonesia]
A friend seems to have “Life is about choices" as her favorite quote recently. This has got me thinking. Is life really about choices? Do we really choose?

There are people who go by thinking that they are stuck with what they have now. That they have no other choices. Mostly perhaps because of economic reason, but more because people are not used to thinking there are other possibilities in life. That they can achieve a lot more if they only try, if they only believe.

Then there are people who start to think that life is about choices. We have so many options in life. We have the power to choose. I wonder whether the fact that we need to time to think to choose is because we do not know ourselves.

If you know you prefer tea to coffee, if you like strawberry ice cream and not chocolate, you don't even think about coffee or chocolate ice cream. Even if the coffee or chocolate is there, you do not see that as options, because it is not you. You will easily say "tea" and "strawberry" without thinking twice.

Moreover, who are we to say that we can control our life. A friend once said "control is an illusion." We think we have control but the next minute everything can fall apart without us being able to do anything about it. It sounds rather arrogant to think that we are the ones who are controlling our life, we are the ones who make all the choices.

Then there are people who just do. They just walk the path of life. They do not choose because they know the path has been set especially for them to walk on. They have belief. They make the most of what is in front of them, what has been served to them, because they know it is from 'Him' especially for them.

Next, there are people who just be. People who do not do just for the sake of doing what is in front of them, but because it comes somewhere from within. Because it is what they are. They consult their heart, not their mind.

Ultimately, there will come a time when what we 'want' is exactly the same as what He wants. We do not even talk about "being" because the only being is Him and nothing else. He is us but we are not really Him.

I am sure there are other explanations. But I shall stop here and end my note with what my friend wrote in her email. She said, “When you connect with your heart and act out of it, everything you do is true. Neither right or wrong. It just is. Your mind does not get in the middle. You just do it.

She continued, “When you work with yourself (insight), everything else outside gets in place. The heart plays such an important role, it becomes the bridge between your thoughts and actions and love needs an open heart to give and receive. The more open your heart is the more you can give and receive. ¨Him¨ is love.”

I am blessed. I know I am. Thank you.