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Decisions are the building blocks of life. Oh yes, I know there are cells and proteins, enzymes and nutrients that keep our bodies functioning, and genetics that determine how it all comes together; but life is so much more than the existence of the body. Life is the product of chemistry, and experience, interactions, and motivations, and much, much more. Life is in the living! It is a journey.

As we journey we make decisions. At first we just react to things around us. We are startled by loud sounds or sudden movements. We snuggle into warmth and comfort, and fuss at discomfort and distress. But soon we learn what works and what does not. We begin to make decisions about how to get attention and what behavior gets our needs met. We begin to respond to people in ways that will get us what we want. By the time we are 2 or 3 years old, we may be very manipulative, or very naughty, or occasionally, well socialized or well adjusted.

The way people respond to us and our needs, influences to a great extent what kind of decisions we will make in the future. Those who care about us will continue to try to teach us to make "good decisions." But by the time others have come to notice our patterns of behavior, those patterns are probably pretty well set. Input from the outside will help, but ultimately we will only behave differently when we make a decision to do so.

Maybe it's the promise of a new doll that catches our eye, or a trip to the baseball game. Maybe it's a teacher that motivates us to try a different way. Maybe it's just a smack on the butt that convinces us to make a different choice the next time. Whatever helps us in a new direction, it is still our decision to change. We decide to handle it a different way.

So life takes its turns. At each intersection of life we decide which direction to go. We decide how to spend our time, how to cultivate our relationships, how to use our opportunities, and which opportunities to pass up. As a consequence we may end up with a good education, or we may barely make the grade. We may save our money for the movies, or we may save it for a new pair of socks. These decisions are the building blocks of life. Will we steal the bubble gum or buy it? Will we buy the insurance for our car, or hope not to get caught without it? Will we claim that extra cash we made cleaning houses on our income tax, or let it slide? These are the decisions on which our character is built.

What kind of job will we do? What kind of parent will we be?

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