The Power of Choice

By Rasheedah Ajibade

Every morning before my kids get out of the car, I remind them to be kind, work hard, and make good choices. I want them to start their day remembering the gift God gave us all — free will, wrapped in responsibility. Our choices are ours, and we must own them.

This has been a tough season for our community. Times have been challenging, with one tragedy after the next. We’ve suffered a great deal of loss — jobs, finances, food, housing, and healthcare. And depending on where you live, Mother Nature has destroyed entire neighborhoods. Our safety and security get gambled with by politicians, and the future feels more unpredictable with each passing day.

But even in what feels like a troubled world, so much good has been done. People have found ways to set aside their differences to make sure neighbors have food on the table. Folks are raising awareness about looming crises like Black infant mortality. Communities are speaking up when a liquor store tries to open in a redeveloping neighborhood. Residents are demanding transparency and accountability when law enforcement uses excessive force. And day in and day out, parents, caregivers, and teachers continue the hard work of raising our children with discipline and structure.

We’ve proven that unity is possible — and really, all it took was a decision.

Sometimes we overcomplicate situations when so much of life comes down to choices. We’re often motivated by our feelings, not realizing how fickle feelings can be. But choices can be made aside from emotions. The same way you choose to get up and go to work every day is the same way you can choose to be compassionate, loving, or grateful.

And this season, I’ll be honest, I’ve struggled with that. Because in journalism, this business can wear you down. The uncertainty of the future, information overload, the constant crisis, the cynicism and sarcasm that can seep in if you’re not careful… it takes a toll.

Have I felt grateful every day? No. Have I felt blessed every day? Absolutely not. But I hold on to the wisdom of the elders who remind us that someone else has it worse. That doesn’t always make me feel better about my own life-in fact, sometimes it makes me feel worse for theirs. But either way, it pushes me to look around and choose to be grateful for something, even if it’s as simple as the cup of coffee I enjoyed this morning.

Life is uncertain and often hard. None of us—believers or not—are exempt from heartache or loss. But we can choose gratitude. We can choose peace. We can choose hope. We can choose forgiveness. And we can choose love.

This holiday season, despite everything, I’m choosing those things. And I pray you do the same.