One of the greatest powers a human being possesses is free will -- our ability to choose, think and act on our own decisions. It is these decisions that shape our character and our personal identity.
I recently heard a reiterated concept that finally registered enough to spur me into action: the purpose of our undergraduate education is to build our character. This sent me into a personal analysis of the choices I make in my daily life and led me to discover how these choices will shape me into the person I desire to be when I am turned loose from IUP and out into "the real world."
Some pivotal choices that craft our lives include what school we attend, the location of the school, where we live while we are there and what major we've chosen. We are able to choose what occupation we would like to pursue upon leaving college, what employer we will work for and where to live. These decisions form the backdrop and setting for other choices we make in our lives.
We also have the option to change our minds after we learn more about ourselves and the subject we thought we wanted to pursue -- and to redirect our focus into another career path. It's not only a woman's prerogative to change a mind-set when new data is acquired!
We also are granted the ability to stand up for ourselves and live our own lives as opposed to letting others live their lives through us -- a student who truly hates numbers pursuing an accounting career because for generations all the male members of his family have been accountants, for example.
We make choices in how we spend our time. One of my professors often repeats the statement "We are all equal: we each have 24 hours in a day" accompanied with the question, "How do we choose to spend our time?"
Are we able to find a balance between all areas of our lives that demand attention -- schoolwork, jobs, professional activities, family, friends and our entertainment?
The friends we share our lives with shape our character. We are the product of the counsel we keep, and we should be diligent regarding the people we are with.
I'm learning to surround myself with upbeat, happy, motivated and dedicated people who inspire me to improve myself -- and to tune out the negativity heard from some others.
In our interactions with others, we are faced with the choices of how we relate, including the choices to forgive, to love, and to trust. These are all personal demons of mine, rooted in my former habit of living in the past, reliving mistakes I've made and a fear of wrongs done to me being committed once again.
You've chosen to read this entire column -- a mere sampling of choices I wished to address -- and I thank you for your consideration.
Did you find inspiration to further improve your own life?
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