You are in control of your options. Learning another craft, vocation or hobby gives you options. Some people don’t know their options in dating till they go outside of their comfort zone or “type “. Dating older or younger, different races or people that you don’t imagine yourself with, gives you more options.  

People get divorced because they want more options. A big negative side of that one is when they realize their new options might not be as great as what they had with the old set of options. Yet, in order to know what you like or what you think you want, you may have to cross that line. I worked with a guy who was married, but his wife gave him options. I don’t get that one and have a hard time understanding how that was good for either of them. The guy had options and his options led him to divorce. So perhaps not all options should be in the table. Especially if the other person (in his case, his wife) wasn’t granted those same options. 

When it comes to my relationship with my wife, I LOVE my options.  Although, I would love to petition to the courts (her) that we could make having sex ONLY once a week and on Sunday an option.  Some of us (me) would be down for an additional “optional” day. How about Wednesday?  That’s a perfectly fine day!  Not much on TV either…  Just saying.  I kid I kid… (Married people are laughing) 

You ever see the press releases that go out that say so and so left their job to “explore other options”. I always wonder if that was because they truly wanted to branch out and try another job or career path; or were they were forced out and pushed to explore other options, because their old option was no longer available to them? 

Life gives you plenty of options and anyone who forces themselves into a corner or a niche in life is afraid of options.  They would prefer to fall back on excuses that are stemmed from inadequacies, confidence, fear or a desire to avoid inconveniences than explore their options. We’ve all made up stories based on excuses on why we decided to limit our options. 

Steve Martin’s character in the movie Parenthood felt that his whole life was a “have to”. He was stressed out by the limitations he set upon himself by the choices he made in life. I always liked that movie, so I thought I would work it into this blog somehow. 

How many people really wanted to go to the prom alone?  Honestly. Fear of rejection prevented you from asking someone out. There were always options when it came to people to ask. Yet, sometimes people procrastinate and their options became someone they didn’t want to be seen with in a picture for the rest of their lives. (Your hot cousin from another town could have been an option?  Nobody would have known!).  

Regardless if it’s curiosity, personal growth, accident or force of hand; it is important to actively try to grow through options.  If you are at a dinner and someone else is buying, then try something new. If you don’t like it, you didn’t pay for it.  Next time you get hit on by someone who might not be your “type”, say yes. Then make them pay for the new food you are trying. (See what I did there?)

Explore your options. Say yes. Try something new. By exploring your options your curiosity gets healthier and so do you. When you open up your options and abilities, you grow. By confirming you don’t like something, then you can mark it off the list and close the door; giving yourself more time to focus on your more favorable options. 

There is a reason why you can order a martini 100 different ways.  (Me? Bombay Sapphire gin, dirty, up, 3 olives).  Options. Everyone has a different favorite for a reason.  Life’s too short for limitation for the sake of limitations. Get out of your comfort zone and try something new.