I often fly American Airlines when I travel. As the plane begins to taxi, a really nice video comes on with various AA employees thanking me for flying American. The video ends with the words, “we know you have choices when you fly, thank you for choosing American.”
Choices.
Why do I choose American? Sometimes the flights are purchased for me. Sometimes they are my only option. I sometimes cash in frequent flyer miles. Most of the time, I choose American if the times are most convenient and the price is most competitive. It isn’t about the service, the comfort or the AAcommunity. I don’t care about their mission statement or business plan. Their awards or struggles don’t affect me. My decision making is pretty shallow, I choose for the simple reason of price and convenience.
Choices.
This method seems to work just fine when choosing an airline, but its application is used far broader than the friendly skys. Why did you choose the car you drive, the lunch you ate, the place you work, the friends you hang with, the hobbies you enjoy, the charities you give to, the people/person you date, the movies you watch, the places you shop, the community with whom you worship.
Pause for a moment and think about the choices you make. What do the choices you make reveal about what you value? Are your choices influencing your values or are your values influencing your choices?
What might change if I spent at least as much time considering my values as I do on Expedia? One of life’s greatest privileges and greatest challenges, is the power to choose. As you make your way through this day, may the choices you make be aligned with your values and may your values be aligned with the One who granted us permission to choose.
