Nothing that we do will have a greater impact on our lives like our choices. Life is all about choices. Every choice that we make will take us down a certain path. Sometimes we will make choices that we may later regret. Sometimes we will make choices that we can be proud of, and some choices may haunt us for years to come. Every choice comes at a cost. The choices we made in the past, made us who we are today, the choices we make today, will determine who we will become tomorrow,  and ultimately, they will determine how our life turns out in the end. Sometimes even the smallest choices can change our lives forever.

If you play with fire you will get burned, if you walk on burning coal, your feet will get scorched. If you go outside in the rain without an umbrella you will get wet. If you hurl yourself off a tall building eventually you will hit the ground. Get the point? All choices have consequences good or bad sometimes both. They will take you to a good place or a bad place.

There are basic truths in life that cannot be ignored, one truth is, that there are consequences for our choices. Often, when bad things happen in our lives they are the result of a choice that we made or a choice that we fail to make. Maybe it was a simple mistake or a human error, or a error in judgement or just a bad choice.

But all too often when bad things happen to us we choose to blame God, we blame fate, or we blame everyone else, when the blame clearly, rest solely and squarely on our own shoulders. We refuse to admit or own up to the fact that we are the cause of our pain and heartache. We refuse to take responsibly for our actions and choices, it's always someone else's  fault, the result is, that we never learn how to make better choices and so our lives never get better, our life continues to be miserable and sad, and we keep on making more mistakes which leads to more pain. If someone else is always to blame for our problems then there is no reason for us to improve, make change or make better choices.

But it's not always the case that when something bad happens to us it's our fault, sometimes, we are not to blame for a misfortune or a tragedy in our life, sometimes we didn't deserve what happened to us. The fact is, that we cannot control everything that happens to us, an accident, a unforeseen or a unexpected tragedy, a disaster or a serious blow or setback can strike out of the blue at any time. Life is not always fair, there are many injustices in the world.

Whether we deserved it or not, whether it was a consequence of a bad choice we made or even if we did absolutely nothing to deserve the bad thing or the wrong that happened to us, what comes next, after the bad thing happens, is up to us. Even though, we cannot always control what happens to us, we can control, how we react and respond to it. The choices we make after, it happens can make us or break us.

Here are some quotes I found helpful: Every choice comes with consequences, once you make your choice, you must also accept the consequences and the responsibility for them whether you like them or not. Make good choices today, so that you don't have to cry over them tomorrow.

We are the ones who will determine our future. It is by choice, not by chance or the conditions around us that will determine if we succeed or fail, or whether or not our dreams will come true. I live by choice, not by chance. Life is a journey, it is about choices. Every fork in the road that you come to, you will have to make a choice, that choice, will shape your life.

Your life is a result and a consequence of your choices, if you don't like your life then make better choices. Choice is the most powerful tool we have at our disposable. In life, there is a wide open field of infinite possibilities, the choices we make, will open or close any number of doors. At any point in our life, we can change the direction of our life, it's in our hands.

Every thing between birth and death is a choice. One of the most difficult things in life is to decide which bridges to cross and which ones to burn. You have but one of three choices, ignore your problems and hope and pray that they go away on their own, you can run away from your problems and they will continue follow you forever like a shadow, or you can face your problems and make them go away, the choice is yours.

When you choose to change the way you think and you change your attitude about life, you will change the way you make choices. When bad things happen in your life, whether you deserved it or not, you can either feel sorry for yourself and continue to make bad choices, or you can choose to treat what happened to you, as a opportunity to grow and learn, or you can choose to let it become an obstacle that prevents you from growing.

There are so many possibilities, so how do I know which choice is right? Take enough time to think it through, don't be in a rush. There are no universal one size fits all answers, the choice that is right for one person may not be right for you. Weigh the pros and cons and the possible consequences, outcomes and all the available options your choice may bring, but don't over think a problem and make it more complicated than it is and get overwhelmed by it.

Over thinking, can cause you not to make a decision, or to delay and put off making a decision which may make your situation even worst and it can cause you to put too much pressure and stress on yourself, which can lead to a bad choice. Over thinking may cause you to doubt yourself.

If you are struggling with a problem take a step back ask for help or do research. Make your choices with a clear head, when you are well rested. Try to remove yourself from the situation as if you are an outside observer, then maybe you will be able to see other options. If you make choices when you are very emotional, you will not be able to think or see clearly, your mind will be clouded up, you will not be able to focus clearly on the problem, and you may not make good rational choices. Never make rash choices. Negative emotions can cause you to make very poor choices.

Try to learn from your past mistakes and success or the mistakes and the accomplishments and achievements of others who have been in your situation. Get some feed back but don't over do it, too much feed back can confuse you even more, opinions and suggestions, are like the nose on your face everybody's got one. Weigh the short term and the long term consequences. Some choices may seem beneficial in the short term but in the long term may be detrimental, others, may cause some short term discomfort but may end up benefitting you greatly in the long term.

Stay true to your values, your morals and your principals, keep your goals in mind. Try not to let your choices hurt or do harm to others. When you make a bad choice, remember, it is a process's, you will not always get it right the first, or even the second time. Learn from your mistakes, accept responsibility for them, and try to do better next time. If you make a bad choice, it doesn't make you a failure, it makes you human and it gives you an opportunity to grow, learn, improve and become better.