Every day living life, we all absorb a great deal of information, events, and experiences.  We take that knowledge and process it to a conclusion at the level of our understanding.  This observance puts us in a place of making choices.

As a child you may have a heard the word “No” or “No No”.  Some of you may have concluded that your name was “No No”.  Now, that you are older you may have witnessed a small child being told “No” and observed the expression on their face of “What do I do now?”  This may cause you to understand yourself in a memory of something you did as a child.  My hope is you watched long enough to see the result of their choice.  You witnessed their choice was either the easiest or the hardest way to go.

As we mature and grow older gathering understandings in our minds and hearts builds a library inside of ourselves that, we can call upon quicker than any technological search engine device to help us make choices.  Not all people share collecting books of knowledge within themselves.  If you are conscious of the things you have experienced, collected it in your mind and draw from that, count yourself an above average person.  If I have made you aware of the library you carry inside yourself, enjoy going through it before you make your choices.

As a pre-teen, you may have encountered other children who have been exposed to somethings before their time.  They, in their curiosity, talked you into to doing and trying some things, you were not completely informed or mature enough to process.  As you are looking at that memory, you see the result of your choice taking you down an easy path or a hard path with lingering results good or bad.

As a teenager you have accumulated even more experiences that you are alright with, some you are not alright with, and some you are still paying for today.  The results of your choices were one with either an easy path or a hard path with memorable results.  Your high school days have left memories that are fun and others that are scars that you possibly still carry with you today.

“What do I do now?” is an everyday encounter whether conscious or subconsciously.  When we answer, the “What do I do now?” the results or aftermath will be easy or hard for us.  Reflecting upon all the diverse images and knowledge the easy path is the one everyone can choose.  Easy (Weak) Path – It is easy (weak) to try to lie your way out.  It is easy (weak) to blame someone else.  It is easy (weak) to hate.  It is easy (weak) to stir up things and make it worse.  It is easy (weak) to go ahead and have sex before you are mentally and spiritually ready.  It is easy (weak) to let jealousy take you over.  It is easy (weak) to be so self minded that everyone else should try to live in your world.  It is easy (weak) to allow the high from drugs and alcohol be your choice.  It is easy (weak) to choose what our flesh wants to do.  This path does not make us special or above average.

Hard (Strong) Path – “What do I do now?” balanced in our mind library can conclude to a different level of results or aftermath for us.  It is a hard (strong) to tell the truth, especially when it hurts others or us.  It is a hard (strong) to take blame when it is your fault.  It is a hard (strong) to love in an unwarranted or undeserving situation.  It is a hard (strong) to make things worse and fueling the fire.  It is a hard (strong) to keep yourself from addiction of sexual exploration of your body.  It is hard (strong) to see past jealousy and be appreciative of what you have going for you.  It is a hard (strong) to be mindful of others with compassion of understanding of what they are going through.  It is a hard (strong) to say no to peer pressure of doing drugs and alcohol.  It is a hard (strong) to choose what will preserve your mind, body and spirit in an honorable state.  This path puts you in an above average class and an elite group.  Make your mind and heart to focus on a solution every time is harder than easily becoming a part of the problem and complaining.

There is too much glorifying for the easy path people choose and there is not enough praise going out to you who are choosing the hard path, going against what others naturally give in to.  We all have in times past choose the easy path, but what really sets us apart are the ones who chooses the path that takes more guts and inward strength than any other.  I know this sounds like old school stuff, but this is what has set us apart from the rest of the world.  You have the ability within you to stand strong for yourself and others.  We all need each other to live this life together to combat the falling nature of humankind around us.  Terrorism and local crime is not going away quietly.  There is a great deal to be said about our fathers and grandfathers integrity.  United we stand, divided we fall.  May your soul-searching find its way through your mind library to a path true and faithfulness.  Have a great day in-spite of what comes your way.