Spencer asked "Which flower do you want mom?"
Which flower would you pick? Do you like the white clover with the light green center? Or do you prefer the yellow little flower with the green delicate leaves?
What determined your choice in the matter?
It all comes down to our history. What colors enliven your spirit? What flowers have you been told are weeds? What shape softens your response? What flower you have been given by your child? What flower you picked as a child? The scent that brings back a fond or sad memory can determine the choice. The texture of the flower that pricks your finger and brings you pain or the delicate smooth petals that gives you good chills. All these thoughts factor into our split second decision and yet we don’t consciously know we have considered these thoughts at all.
Our choices every moment of every day happen like this. We give little thought to insignificant choices and yet those choices build our experiences. Those choices become a foundation for our future choices. The sheer amounts of factors that determine one choice are dizzying.
How often do we look at another person and think to ourselves “That was such a stupid thing to do!”? Well, we have no idea of their experiences and all the factors that brought them to that choice. Next time you see someone and think “that idiot” think about the flowers and which one you choose and how many factors you used in such an insignificant choice. Then think about how little you know of that person and the life they have lead, which brought them to the choices they have made.
