more on choice

I've been thinking a lot about the nature of choice since the May 15th post...

Each time we have a choice to make, we must weigh the pros and cons that we can reasonably predict at that time. Later, after we've made the choice and acted on it, more information will certainly become available (specifically, we'll know how the choice turned out). It's pointless to go back and second guess ourselves, wish we had made a different choice, beat ourselves up for our lack of foresight, etc. We can only make a choice in the moment, given what we know at that time, not later after it's already passed.

But most of us are not that practical. We make our choice then wonder if it was right or wrong. We keep playing out what we think would have happened had we made a different choice, not realizing, of course, that there is NO WAY TO KNOW. If the choice you made didn't turn out as you had hoped, you can't predict how a different choice would have turned out. Wondering kills our morale, lowers our spirits and diminshes our power to make the new choices the current moment presents. To regain our strength, self esteem and sense of purpose, we must learn to be ok with past choices, no matter how they played out. If we don't like the results, all we can do is take a mental note that will help us make a more informed choice the next time. We must not wonder, worry and lose sleep over the past...