大象传媒

From Father Brian D鈥橝rcy, a Catholic Passionist priest:

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When I trained for the priesthood fifty years ago, I was warned that the world around me would change, but my values should remain the same.

For years I lived by that principle until I realised I would become mentally and emotionally ill unless I abandoned such dark-age philosophy. Everything changes and that includes me.

No matter how I try to avoid it, I have to admit that 鈥渃hange鈥� and 鈥渃hoice鈥� are part of life; both are to be welcomed, not feared.听

However, so much changes so rapidly now, that I can鈥檛 possibly keep abreast of them all. I鈥檓 one of the dwindling few who still remembers when phones had wires attached and when 鈥渘otebooks鈥� needed pens. I鈥檓 also the first to admit that almost all of the changes I once resisted, have made life easier and better.

Yet even today when I鈥檓 faced with a new project which forces me to leave my comfort zone, my gut feeling is to give up. I have to remind myself that both change and choice keep me young at heart. Without them I鈥檇 become a dead fish in a stagnant pond.

The French philosopher Sartre agrees, 鈥渨e are our choices鈥�. I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday, as it were.

At this stage of my life, it鈥檚 vital that I welcome change and that I actually make choices. I can鈥檛 have everything so I have to learn not to be paralysed by so many options.

It鈥檚 easier to make good choices, though, when you know what your principles are. So embrace change; make choices; know your core principles.

One final thought. When you make a decision, choose what is right and honest. To do nothing is not an option because the decision not to choose is itself a choice 鈥� and usually the worst one.

In life there are no safe choices, only other choices. And for me a wrong choice is braver than no choice at all.