I find it
to be of significant importance
to distinguish options
from choices.

Options need not provoke emotions.

We may have 5 options to choose from for lunch.
Yet, none of them may move us to make a choice.

We can weigh the pros and cons of the options all we want,
but this may merely fuel our inner conflict,
until we feel moved enough to make a choice.

Choices,
unlike options,
has an emotional component.

Some choices are made begrudgingly.
Yet, the kind I find most fascinating
is the kind that arises the moment we realize our empathy.

That moment when we’ve finally moved
from a state of dissonance,
of not empathizing,
to a state of resonance,
of empathizing.

That moment when what we once could not see
becomes surprisingly self-evident,
and oh so obvious
in hindsight.

That moment we go
“Oh, of course…!”
exclaming
at the possibility
that just unfolded.

p.s: My gratitude goes out to Dr. Paul Pangaro for the wonderful conversation that inspired this post.