Heartfelt Choices.

Today’s Marketing Cookie talks about the choices we make in life, but what makes them good?

I recently looked through some dusty boxes of stuff that had been sitting in the attic for about 30 years. I found mementos from my childhood, old artwork, my high school diploma, photos from college, and some juicy love letters from my hot girlfriend, before we were married. It was like opening a time capsule and witnessing tangible flashbacks of the pivotal moments of my life. I began to wonder, what would be in this box if I had made different decisions and choices?

As I looked at today’s fortune, I began to think about the difference between choices and decisions. Both play significant roles in shaping our life’s journey, but they come from very different places within us.

Choices are those gut feelings and instincts we follow, driven by our values and beliefs. It's like deciding to leave a stable job to pursue a lifelong passion for less money, guided by the desire to find personal fulfillment and follow your dreams. Choices are made from the heart. They reflect our true selves and light the way to a life filled with purpose and joy.

Decisions, on the other hand, are more about logic and analysis. We could make a pros and cons list like Benjamin Franklin, carefully weighing each factor to arrive at a rational conclusion. We look at the facts, weigh the options, and convince ourselves of the best course of action. It's like choosing the right college to attend, considering the programs, financial aid, and long-term career opportunities, planning every detail to make sure it all makes sense.

Now, here's the thing: not every decision we make works out. In some cases, you allowed yourself to be convinced of something, the data was wrong, or your logic was off, and that final decision turned out to be a bad one.

On the other hand, every choice we’ve made, if it genuinely came from your heart and you truly believed in it, was a good choice—no matter how it turned out. Your heart will always lead you towards what truly matters and will always bring you closer to your authentic self. Someday when you look through a dusty box of old memories, you’ll see it really is as today’s fortune says, “Life is a series of choices. Today yours are good ones.”