"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference." - Frost

In the course of my life there have been a couple times in which the choices I had to make would drastically alter the course of my life. I have no regrets and feel the choices I made were the right ones, but at the time, the process of making the choice was almost paralyzing. I was blessed to have many people offer advice, but in the end, the final decision, and the consequences, were all mine.

The challenge of the Frost poem I quoted above, I believe, is for us to take a risk; to challenge ourselves to see our choices, our lives, in a different perspective. I have found that what stops most people from making decisions is the sense of the unknown. Yet what Frost seems to be saying is that the unknown, scary as it may be, may end up being the best thing to happen to you.

Choices

I'm still working on the process of making choices, but along the way I've learned some lessons:

1. Don't make choices in the midst of extreme stress. Reduce your stress first.

2. Consult with family and friends.

3. Take some time to look at the situation from differing perspectives; not just looking at the choices from the obvious perspective.

4. Take a risk.

5. Know that not making a choice is a choice itself.

6. Don’t make choices right before going to bed. Wait until the morning and the light of a new day. It does make a difference.

7. If you feel you made the wrong choice, make another choice.

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