We often think of choice as a thing. But a choice is not a thing. Our options may be things, but a choice—a choice is an action. It is not just something we have but something we do.
Interpretation
Choice is an action rather than a mere possession of options.
In this quote, Greg McKeown emphasizes the distinction between having options and making choices. He suggests that while we may be presented with various options in life, the act of choosing is what truly defines us. It's not enough to simply have multiple paths available; it is the deliberate action of making a choice that shapes our experiences and outcomes.
In practice
During a motivational speech to inspire people to take charge of their lives.
The way of the Essentialist means living by design, not by default. Instead of making choices reactively, the Essentialist deliberately distinguishes the vital few from the trivial many, eliminates the non-essentials, and then removes obstacles so the essential things have clear, smooth passage. In other words, Essentialism is a disciplined, systematic approach for determining where our highest point of contribution lies, then making execution of those things almost effortless.
Essentialism is not about how to get more things done, it's about how to the get the right things done. It doesn't mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.
It's a lucky man, a very lucky man, who is committed to what he believes, who has stifled intellectual detachment and can relax in the luxury of his emotions - like a tipsy traveller resting for the night at wayside inn.
There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else.
Whenever A annoys or injures B on the pretense of saving or improving X, A is a scoundrel.
Religion is a system of wishful illusions together with a disavowal of reality, such as we find nowhere else but in a state of blissful hallucinatory confusion. Religion's eleventh commandment is "Thou shalt not question."
He even knew the reason why: because enough men had gone off to war saying the time for gardening was when the war was over; whereas there must be men to stay behind and keep gardening alive, or at least the idea of gardening; because once that cord was broken, the earth would grow hard and forget her children. That was why.
It appears to be in the nature of religion itself to be prejudiced against those who are different.
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