Choice
The final event in the summer olympic games is the men’s marathon. At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens Greece, Brazilian runner Vanderlei de Lima found himself in the lead with a few runners behind him. As the finish line veered closer and closer, de Lima felt confident and he began to see gold. Suddenly, with only 4 miles to go, a protester ran out in front of de Lima and grabbed him. Security guards quickly stepped in to constrain the crazy protester dressed in a kilt and beret, with a placard that said, “Get ready, the end of the world is near!”
Vanderlei de Lima regained his composure and was back on the course heading to the finish line. But his pace began to slow and the runner from Italy soon passed him up as well as the American. De Lima eventually finished in 3rd place to receive the bronze. The International Olympic Committee decided to keep the results as they were even though de Lima had been robbed of a potential gold medal.
At the press interview after the race, de Lima stated that he was “happy” with the results even though he felt confident that he could have won the race. Vanderlei de Lima made a very difficult choice, but one that has led to peace and happiness for the rest of his life.
We all have faced similar situations as de Lima...making choices that can affect us for the rest of our lives. If de Lima had decided to be bitter and angry over what happened in Athens, he would have carried that burden with him for the rest of his life. But he made a conscious effort to put that behind him and move forward in peace. What would you have done?
God has given each of us the incredible gift of choice. Choice is “the ability to direct our will.” (Creation Health) We were created just below the angels, and above the animals, who have the ability to make decisions, but their frontal lobes are not as developed as humans. (Cats 3.5%, Dogs 7%, chimps 17%, humans up to 38%.) God has also created us with the special gift of worship. We don’t see dogs and cats bowing down to an image, do we? Of course, many you of may feel that your dog or cat worships you. But what they are really thinking when you bring them a plate of food is, “I’ve got you wrapped around my finger! Now get me some tasty treats!” Animals don’t have the ability to worship, only humans do (God, Buddha, totem poles, Moon, Earth).
“Therefore, we must exercise wisdom when making choices because they determine the course of our lives. Nine out of the ten leading causes of death are related to lifestyle choices.” (Creation Health) Isn’t it important that we learn to make wise choices in life?
In a study involving choice and control among nursing home residents, people were divided among two groups. One group was given many choices and control over what they ate, saw on tv and activities to participate in. The other group was given the same items, but were simply told receive the food and activities. After 18 months, the researchers found that the group that was given more control and choices was more healthy and active compared to the group given less choice and control.
Yale surgeon and author, Dr. Bernie Siegel found that “patients who got better when they were not supposed to, were not having miracles or remission. Rather they were experiencing self-induced healing.” He goes on to say that, “people who choose their own therapies have fewer side effects than those who silently submit to treatment because their doctors told them to” (Siegel, Love, Medicine and Miracles). Choice empowers because it helps the person take ownership of the situation, which in turn produces positive results.
Making healthy choices means choosing good things in a balanced, moderate way and leaving out harmful things. Whenever you are faced with a choice, ask “Is this beneficial to me, and if so, how beneficial?” Weighing the benefits and risks produces better decisions. By simply choosing to add more good things to your life, your life will be better and more satisfying.
Proverbs 24:5 says, “A wise man is strong; and a man of knowledge makes strength greater.” King Solomon knew the wisdom in attaining knowledge. This allowed him to make the wisest decisions possible. So how can we increase our knowledge?
We can increase our knowledge by reading books, watching informative programs, or wisely using the Internet for continued intellectual growth. As a result of this personal development, we are better equipped to make wiser choices that bless us with abundant life, purpose, peace and joy.
Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come, let us REASON together.” Another important tool when making good choices is the application of reasoning. We don’t always have all the information we need, so we rely heavily on exercising our reason when making good choices. Just as we should always be increasing our knowledge, we should also be improving our reasoning abilities. Take a class on logic, philosophy, debate, or classic reasoning. Meet regularly with a group of friends for engaging discussions. The more we practice these critical thinking skills, the better we become at making good choices when relatively little information is available.
The power of choice resides in the frontal lobe of our brains. The frontal lobe is the seat of will/choice, judgment, reasoning, social norms, and long-term planning. All of these help us to make healthy life-giving choices. When the frontal lobe becomes impaired or damaged (accidents, alcohol, drugs), then we see a decline in these areas. As Christians, God wants us to keep our frontal lobes healthy and secure from evil. That is why we have the word of God as our guide and protection.
Just as plants in a garden must be cultivated in order to produce flowers or fruit, thoughts must be cultivated to produce positive results. So cultivate happy thoughts because it strengthens your frontal lobe.
Remember that carbohydrates are necessary for healthy frontal lobe function. Serotonin and tryptophan are found in carbohydrates and are powerful mood enhancers.
Lastly, choose to listen to happy, uplifting music. Eliminate music that encourages negative behaviors and attitudes or puts you in a negative state of mind. Ask, “How does this make me feel? What does it make me think?”
Choose not to expose yourself to anything negative because such things compromise your reasoning powers and happiness.
Blood flow is also increased by physical activity and massage. Enhancing blood flow in general increases blood flow to the brain because the body naturally prioritizes blood flow to the brain.
Sunshine sharpens the mind and reduces the stress hormone cortisol -- the frontal lobe functions best when it isn’t stressed.
The main cause of frontal lobe damage is lifestyle habits. The common effects of a compromised frontal lobe are:
- Impairment of moral principle
- Social impairment (loss of love for family)
- Lack of foresight
- Incapable of abstract reasoning
- Depression
A compromised frontal lobe is:
- Unable to interpret proverbs
- Has a diminished ability for mathematical understanding
- Loss of empathy
- Lack of restraint (is boastful, hostile and aggressive)
A compromised frontal lobe changes one’s personality. These changes can be minimal at first, but accumulated over time, can become a significant life-changing factor. They can reek havoc on the emotional, social, financial, spiritual, and other facets of one’s life.
Here are some tips for making healthy choices to enhance frontal lobe functioning.
First, stay focused on what the real choice is; don’t be distracted by chaos, lack of sleep or the demands of the people around you.
Secondly, remember H-A-L-T, do not make big decisions when Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.
Remember, choosing wisely is easier when you choose to make ONE wise choice at a time.
When making life-changing choices, remember you have God’s power and help:
“Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10, NIV
The story of Vanderlei de Lima comes full circle because of his positive choices in life. Several weeks ago at the games in Rio, the person to represent his country for the lighting of the Olympic cauldron and officially open the Summer Games was...you guessed…Vanderlei de Lima 😊
Sources:
Creation Health- Florida Hospital
BBC World News