Articles

Decisions Determine Destiny

Recently my uncle Terry and his son Kyu were hiking some of the beautiful National Parks of Southern Utah. The photos they took were breathtaking and gave me an opportunity to marvel about the wonderful natural magnificence that abounds in that part of the country. There were great vistas of deep canyons and towering arches. Stunning orange boulders that seemed to defy gravity were balanced on the tiniest points of stone that have lasted for thousands of years. The smiles on their faces showed that they were having a wonderful time enjoying that enchanted land. I was lucky enough to be experiencing their trip several hundred miles away through their posts on social media.

One such post was a photo of a stone arch to which Terry’s caption read, “There was a small boulder wedged into the crack directly above my head. I decided to move.” Knowing Terry’s humor, I laughed at the common sense, and the wise decision he made. After letting that sink in, I wondered how many people find themselves someplace that looks exhilarating, but after looking around, noticed they had inadvertently placed themselves in a precarious or dangerous situation? Then, secondly, how many people make the decision to move? Finally, how many people seek to share their experience with others?

A quote I love from Russell M. Nelson is “Each day is a decision, and our decisions determine our destiny.” When we look objectively at where we are, do we take into consideration our surroundings? We can make decisions that help us maintain our course, and help us get back on course. I also think it’s critically important to remember that we can choose a different course entirely! Decisions like this require us to move. It may not be easy, or comfortable, or be met with acceptance from those closest to us.

While we can’t predict the future, we can keep moving forward. Remember this quote from Walt Disney, “We keep moving forward, opening up new doors, and doing new things because we’re curious… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Curiosity helps us to ask new questions. In order to find those answers, we must move!

When my uncle shared how he wisely decided to move, it motivated me to think about the lesson that could be learned from that experience. Here I am sharing it with you! Sharing is not forcing, it is not done with any measure of compulsion, only with a spirit of love and compassion. What we have experienced helps us to show empathy to our neighbors and develop a living, thriving community.

I’m thankful to be a part of this wonderful community. May we all continue to be guided by wise decisions and find a peaceful and welcome destiny. Happy New Year!

Show More

Dr. James Burneson

Our practice is working together to realize a shared vision of uncompromising excellence in dentistry.

Related Articles

Check Also
Close
Back to top button