[Neurons] 2012 Meta Reflections #22

[Michael Hall]

From: L. Michael Hall

Meta Reflections 2012  #22

April 16, 2012

Empowerment Series #9

 

 

THE POWER OF CHOICE

 

 


>From the four fundamental powers of your personality and your power of

response-ability arises another power-your power of choice.  You can choose.
And choose you do.  Consciously or consciously, intentionally or by default,
you choose.  In fact, you make lots of choices.  You may love this power or
hate it; you may delight in it or seek to avoid it.  Yet this power is yours
and if you handle it aright, you will be more fully able to take charge of
your life and be the architect of your future.

 

Some years ago I began using the term choice point as I worked with people,
I might say:  "You are now at choice point about what you want to do, so
what will it be?"  Later when I found this phrase several times in Maslow's
writings, I began to realize just how powerful the phrase is.  And
especially the impact it has when it is brought to a person's attention -
You are now at choice point.  In terms of the Crucible, this is right in the
middle of the heat of a fierce conversation (The Crucible, 2009).

 

What is the power of choice?  How can you more fully experience this power
in your life?  The power of choice begins with your four fundamental powers
of personality because you have the power to choose what to think, believe,
remember, imagine, etc.  And when you make those choices, you are exercising
the power to choose the emotions that you want to give yourself to.  Your
power of choice includes the words that you choose to use and the behaviors
you choose to engage in.

 

So how is it then that so many people talk and act and feel and think that
they have no choice?  "I have to do this or that, I have no choice."  And
yet they do have choice!  Just because there may be a consequence to a
certain way of thinking, feeling, speaking, and acting doesn't mean that you
have no choice.  It means that you are choosing to not even consider that
alternative.  Sure you can stand up to your boss who may be doing something
unethical or illegal.

"But then I may get fired."

"Yes, that may be the price you would pay for the courage to speak up.  So
what is your choice?  What will you do?"

 

Where there is a form of helplessness, hopelessness, or playing the victim,
there is a human being choosing these responses.  And that human being is
more than likely also choosing to not know that he is so choosing.  By
keeping oneself blind and unaware, the choice seems to belong to others, to
the world, to the markets, to external influences and forces.  I heard it
the other day when during a conversation someone responded to an idea I
suggested by saying:

"I could never imagine even thinking of doing that!  I'm just not the kind
of person who could ever go there."

 

"So you are choosing to not make an movie in your mind about doing that, is
that what you are saying?"

"Well, no, not really.  You see I can't imagine it.  I'm not that kind of
person."

 

"So that's your choice.  Hmmmm.   So you are choosing not to imagine it and
you are choosing to not identify yourself in a new way so that you become
the kind of person who would do it."

"It's not about choice, it's about inability."

 

"So you are choosing to frame it as inability rather than choice. ...
[pause] ... It's okay.  It's your life and you can do whatever you want ..."

"But you don't understand, I can't even imagine being that way..."

 

"That's a good one.  I had not thought about that choice- to choose to be a
different kind of human being, one that eliminates that choice!  So your
choice is to think of yourself and define yourself as a choice-less human
being.  Hmmmmm.  Very interesting."

 

I'd like to report that there was an immediate Eureka! movement, that the
heavens opened, that the blinders fell of his eyes, that he suddenly claimed
his power of choice ... but alas, it did not happen that way.  My guess is
that there were too many vested interests, but the person is a friend and
what he reported was that he didn't sleep very well that evening and that I
"had bothered him with that disturbing conversation."  I smiled and said,
"Yes, I'm so very powerful I can control your sleeping!"  He smiled and said
that yes, he knows that is one of his powers.  Ah, he was beginning to move
to choice point!

 

The power of choice is the power to decide about direction- what direction
do you want to go in?  What direction would you like to send your brain?
What would you like to believe?  What frame of mind would you like to live
from?  What kind of language would you like to use in framing problems,
solutions, innovations, etc.?

 

The power of choice also is the very power by which you truly become the
author of your life and of course, as you become the author of your life,
you develop your own internal authority.  You are the one in charge of
writing the script and carrying out the story.  You are the author.  So what
script are you writing and delivering?

 

Here's to your power of choice!  Make it a good one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L.  Michael Hall, Ph.D.

Neuro-Semantics Executive Director  ----   <http://www.neurosemantics.com/>
www.neurosemantics.com

P.O. Box 8

Clifton, CO.  81520 USA                              

1 970-523-7877                                               

     

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Neuro-Semantics launched the New Human Potential Movement in 2007, for
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<http://www.self-actualizing.org/> www.self-actualizing.org

 

 

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