The Power of Choice

Almost every single action we take, emotion we express, and word we say, is a choice. We choose how to live our lives and nobody else has the power to make that choice for us. At times, it may seem impossible to choose, or as if your life is being dictated by someone else, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Over the past two weeks, the realizations I've had and the lessons I've learned have helped me to expand my knowledge of the world and the life that I would like to live. Many of the children at L.O.A.M.O. have some of the hardest choices of all. Their choices are similar to choosing between studying for a test that could affect their future, or finding food for themselves and their families because they haven't eaten in days. Those are choices that affect the present moment and impact their physical well-being. These children live in conditions I could hardly fathom, yet they continue to share their glowing smiles spreading happiness and love. These are the choices that make the children some of the most incredible souls I have ever met, and ever will meet. The students at L.O.A.M.O. who live in poverty have come to accept it. Of course, they hope for a better future and work hard to try and reach that, but they have come to peace with their situation and they know that it will not change suddenly. They can either enjoy every moment and find happiness in their life or stop trying and give up. These amazing people choose to be happy, they choose to love unconditionally, and they choose to accept strangers into their home. All of the choices the students make may seem incredibly small, but with the life they live, the choices are actually amazingly, consecutively positive. Meeting these beautiful people have made me look at life differently and for that I will be forever grateful. I now know that I have the power to choose, I am in control of my life and it is completely up to me what I make of it. This experience has taught me that unexpected things will always occur in life, bad things are unavoidable so it is up to you, how you deal with it. You can take an awful thing that has happened to you and learn and grow from it, or it can ruin your life. I will never look at a situation the same again and every time I hope to choose happiness and love. Every single time I will think of these incredibly beautiful children in Tanzania and choose happiness.