Making Choices....

I am not a very good decision maker, whenever my family or friends are trying to decide where to eat or an activity to do, I most often say, "whatever you guys want", because choices are rather stressful for me; dealing with figuring out all the options, then trying to figure out what I want out of those options, and then not wanting to annoy others with my choices- we all have to agree for the most part- makes me stressed! So if little decisions like what to eat stress me out, think of how stressful it is to make bigger decisions! Like where to move to, where to work, and what I want to be when I "grow up"! I've been pretty stressed trying to figure these things out, but I spoke with my Branch President, and we kind of broke things down. Talking to him helped, but I realized something about myself, with my difficulty of making choices. Because I've spent most of my life saying, "whatever you want" I don't really always know what I want. I am having a hard time knowing myself, knowing my own opinion. It kind of stinks! I am realizing why it's so important to help children know their own thoughts, why they need to be able to make choices, suitable for their age of course, because if parents are always making the choices for them, and not giving them enough opportunity to speak, then they begin to think their thoughts and opinions are wrong, and that others should make choices for them. If they don't have that opportunity while they are young, then it's going to be a heck of a lot harder for them to learn how to when they are older!
Choice is essential in life, we all need it, our choices make up part of our identity. We sometimes want what is best for others, that we make them, or at least try to make them, do what is right. We'll do whatever we can to make sure our dear ones are on the right track; we'll try to intimidate them by useing our authority, or we'll try to guilttrip them, we'll threaten them, and try to scare them, whatever it takes to do what is right. But no matter our good intentions, this isn't right, it denies them the opportunity to gain a sense of self, it denies them the right to choose, and understand for themselves right from wrong. Now don't get me wrong, little children need boundries, they need guidance, and rules, but that can be done while still helping them make their own choices.
Anyway I've gone off rambling about parenting advice when I'm not even a parent! :) Just speaking from experience- as one who is struggling to learn to make her own choices.