Choices

Everyday we make unimportant choices. We make decisions about what to wear, what to eat, and what we say. Yet, once in a while, we are challenged to make a major decision that may alter the course of our lives forever. These choices don't seem important at first, but they will have far reaching effects. Robert Frost describes "the road not taken" as the choice most people do not make. The "untrod path" is not necessarily the worst option. Not surprisingly, some people think this road presents the right choice for them based on their morals, expectations, or beliefs.

To most of us, choosing a career may seem routine. Children are often asked what they want to be when they grow up. Their decisions will change quickly. Yet, how different would the world be had Louis Pasteur decided he didn't want to study medicine or if Abraham Lincoln had decided to be an explorer instead of a politician? Many people choose jobs that they think are profitable or glamorous. For instance, they choose jobs that offer the chance to be famous or hold lots of power. Yet, few people have the ability or potential to fulfill that goal. For example, many children say they want to dig up dinosaurs. Most are deterred later when they hear how much hard work they'll have to put in, and how little money they'll get out of it.

Choosing what to do after high school is a major decision. Most people opt to go to college or work. Others select military service or travel for a while. There are pros and cons to each option. You can earn money by working, but you could make more in the long term by going to college and achieving a degree. The military will give you college credits, but is also very tough. Traveling will give you a chance to relax, but you can't tour the world forever.

Not everyone will get into the first college on their list. However, the chances are good that you will get an education that will train and give you the skills necessary for your chosen profession. The "road less traveled" for decisions about life after high school is probably the military or travel, because in most cases, the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. Some people will choose to take these paths because their interests or lifestyles lie in traveling or the military.

At some time in life, almost everyone has to make decisions about their relationships with other people. These decisions could deal with their friendships or more intimate associations. Some may want to be with popular and/or rich people (who may be popular because they're rich). They do so because that "cool" person is well liked, even though under any other circumstances they may not get along with that person. Few would choose to be friends with someone who looks geeky, just because that person is unpopular. Nevertheless, the people who go down that "untrod road" may be happier in the long run. They will find that they and that unpopular person are very cool after all.

The road less traveled will not always be the worst choice. Don't be a follower, but a leader. Make your decisions based on what you feel is right. Who knows, maybe the untrodden path is the one that is best, after all.

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