Tuesday, September 30, 2008

THREE EVERY DAY CHOICES

Three everyday choices: So what leads to everyday greatness?

The Choice to Act: The first choice we make each and every day is, Will we act upon life, or will we merely be acted upon?

The Choice of Purpose: But plenty of us have made the choice to act, only to find that we made poor choices—choices that turned out to be of no value to ourselves or to others, some perhaps even harmful. So, alone, the choice to act is not sufficient. And so the second choice we make each and every day is of great significance: To what ends, or purposes, will our daily choices lead? We each want to be of value—to know our life matters.

The Choice for Principles: But, of course, none of this happens by magic or luck. While I believe in the power of positive thought, I do not believe that you or I can simply psyche ourselves into success or peace of mind. Rather, enjoying a life rich in meaning and progress—a life of Everyday Greatness—comes only as we live in harmony with timeless, universal principles. And so the third choice we make each and every day is, Will we live our lives in accordance with proven principles, or will we suffer the consequences of not doing so?

Stephen R. Covey

From Everyday Greatness
Compiled by David K. Hatch with Insights and Commnetary by Stephen R. Covey