Hey family, it’s Bro Dave — and today, June 12th, I’m writing this message with a full heart, having just made a long trip to bring my grandson home here to New Mexico. Life moves fast, doesn’t it? One minute you’re planning your week, and the next you’re on the road, rearranging your entire day for the people you love. And you know what? I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
This message is about something we don’t talk about enough: the difference between the choices we consciously make, and the situations life forces on us without warning. It’s a lesson I live through daily, and I believe it’s one we all need to understand to find peace in the storm.
The Choices We Control
There are the decisions we choose — the healthy habits we try to form, the people we allow into our circle, the words we use, the way we treat strangers, and the dreams we chase. These are choices. They shape our days, our careers, our legacies. And when you start stringing good choices together, they build outcomes that reflect your higher self.
Choosing to forgive. Choosing to keep going. Choosing to be better.
These choices don’t guarantee ease, but they keep your spirit in alignment with purpose. They’re proactive, and they reflect the person you want to become.
The Things Life Throws at Us
Then there’s the other side — the moments none of us ask for.
Just a few days ago on June 9th, I was back in Lubbock, Texas, one month post-hip replacement surgery, with a swollen calf that had me fearing a blood clot. Therapy had been rough, the leg was acting up, and suddenly my world tilted. I didn’t choose that moment. It chose me.
Fear, anxiety, pain — those are the moments that test the lessons we claim to live by.
And you know what? After tests and evaluations, it turned out better than expected. No clot, no catastrophe. A reminder that sometimes the storm isn’t there to drown you, it’s there to wash something off you.
Why This Matters Today
So as I drove back with my grandson today, reflecting on these last few days, I realized how important it is to separate what we can control from what we can’t — and how both are teachers.
The conscious choices shape our character. The uninvited trials reveal our resilience.
Both are necessary. Both belong to you. Both will shape your legacy.
And here’s the thing — when life hands you a moment you didn’t ask for, when it blindsides you with pain, hardship, or fear, you still have one final, sacred choice: how you respond to it.
That’s where character’s built.
My Challenge to You
I want to hear from you. Drop a comment, a photo, a story below. Who did you lift up this week? What trial did you survive? What conscious choice did you make? You never know whose life you’ll impact by sharing it.
I’ve lived a hard life. I’ve had losses, pain, addiction, fear. But every day, I wake up and make one choice: to still stand. To still love. To still speak life into others.
And if you’re reading this, you’re part of my circle now.
Stay strong. Stay kind. Stay present. Love, Bro Dave
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