The Power to Choose You
I love all things superhero. I’m a fan of the movies and television shows alike. Superhero films let us revisit a whimsical piece of childhood — those days when we pretended to be caped crusaders, imagining ourselves with extraordinary powers. We’d play with friends, reenacting scenes from comic books or the latest movie, fully absorbed in the make-believe. I suspect many children still do the same today, because a child’s mind sees the world as full of wonder. I remember — and you probably do too — that when it came time to decide who would be the villain and who would be the hero, I almost always wanted to be the hero. Did you?
You wanted to have the power and often dreamed of defeating the Villains each time, and sometimes you were selfish and greedy while your friends grew upset because you still chose yourself above them. Those were very innocent times; it was easy to put our own wants first without much thought. We didn’t even think about the consequences, we just did it. Now, do you feel that choosing yourself has become more difficult? Life takes over: we are exposed to different environments, new people and personalities, demanding work peers, and perhaps marriage and family responsibilities that complicate every decision.
As days, months, and years pass, we often find ourselves slipping away from who we once were, because we begin to make choices driven by practical needs. Responsibilities accumulate that demand our attention—family, work, a spouse, and other obligations—gradually reshaping priorities and habits. Then one day we wake up and realize that we have lost what once was the essence of who we are. We forget how to pause, breathe, and reclaim the quiet courage to choose ourselves again.
The essence of how God designed us is to be nurturing to one another; we are created to encourage, support, and serve each other so we can become our fullest selves. But how can we offer all of that if we do not first know who we are, what brings out our best, and are not willing to choose ourselves again and again? This may sound selfish. When I work on an art piece, I always let the piece itself choose the direction of the life and story it wants to tell, guiding me as much as I guide it. I see myself as a vessel of support and gentle guidance for the canvas, responding to its needs and allowing its voice to emerge.
As I always say, we are all a canvas that longs to tell a story — to love, to laugh, to be whimsical — and to reach a place in life where you experience a profound, euphoric essence that stirs your soul, breaks down barriers, and allows you to become everything you were meant to be. But that feeling can be a choice; you must decide to choose yourself. Sometimes choosing yourself may mean not choosing something else, and sometimes that choice can sting. Remember that, like a painting, you are a blank canvas—capable of being reimagined, repainted, restored, and even gently touched up, no matter how worn or imperfect the layers beneath may be.
Which painting are you? Today you must decide that you have the power, every day, to choose yourself. Be courageous, be intentional, and be as powerful as a superhero in choosing you—stand firm in your worth, claim your time, and honor your own needs.
Best,
Tony
