Chapter 5

           Imaginethatsomebodyputsaguntoyourheadandtellsyouthatyouhavetorun26.2milesinunderfivehours,orelsehe’llkillyouandyourentirefamily.

           Thatwouldsuck.

           Nowimaginethatyouboughtniceshoesandrunninggear,trainedreligiouslyformonths,andcompletedyourfirstmarathonwithallofyourclosestfamilyandfriendscheeringyouonatthefinishline.

           Thatcouldpotentiallybeoneoftheproudestmomentsofyourlife.

           Exactsame26.2miles.Exactsamepersonrunningthem.Exactsamepaincoursingthroughyourexactsamelegs.Butwhenyouchoseitfreelyandpreparedforit,itwasagloriousandimportantmilestoneinyourlife.Whenitwasforceduponyouagainstyourwill,itwasoneofthemostterrifyingandpainfulexperiencesofyourlife.

           Oftentheonlydifferencebetweenaproblembeingpainfulorbeingpowerfulisasensethatwechoseit,andthatweareresponsibleforit.

           Ifyou’remiserableinyourcurrentsituation,chancesareit’sbecauseyoufeellikesomepartofitisoutsideyourcontrol—thatthere’saproblemyouhavenoabilitytosolve,aproblemthatwassomehowthrustuponyouwithoutyourchoosing.

           Whenwefeelthatwe’rechoosingourproblems,wefeelempowered.Whenwefeelthatourproblemsarebeingforceduponusagainstourwill,wefeelvictimizedandmiserable.

           TheChoice

           WilliamJameshadproblems.Reallybadproblems.