The Power to Choose

One of life’s most painful lessons is the power of choice.  It comes back to the old saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”  I've pondered this saying countless times on my own journey.

It's a beautifully simple concept, yet executing it feels impossible.  I am capable of leading a horse to water, and have done so many times.  But for all my lessons, theorizing and experience, I cannot physically manipulate the horse’s muscles to drink and swallow.  How many muscles are even involved? Even if I could try, how can I manipulate each and every muscle to work together to make him drink?

These thoughts often swirl in my mind, seemingly fruitless. Yet, they offer a deeper, poignant understanding. Leading the horse to water requires many steps, but what then? There are no obvious steps beyond that point.

I’ve yearned for those steps, especially as I witnessed loved ones literally destroy themselves.  I’ve watched as loved ones remain unhappy yet push themselves past their point of utter exhaustion.  The power to choose our next steps is something intrinsic to us all, something no one can take away.

We all have that choice within us.  It’s one thing that no one can take from us.  Our own power to choose.  The only question that remains is what are we going to do with it? 

Are we going to swirl in our pain?  Or, are we going to choose to heal?