You’ve probably heard people say, “It doesn’t matter what I do, because if it’s my time to die, I’ll die!”

That line of thought says we are at the mercy of fate and have no real control or choice in life. Call it fatalism or chance, it is a pretty negative approach to life. It is why some people refuse to use seatbelts in cars and others keep smoking cigarettes in spite of all the evidence that avoiding such behavior increases the odds of living longer.

It’s true that life is uncertain, and often it is not fair. But there are many areas of our lives where we can choose to make things better, safer and more secure. We can choose behavior that gives only temporary gratification or we can increase the odds of future benefits. One of the greatest of gifts is the freedom of choice.

We do not need to surrender to fate. We just need to learn to make wise and good choices that lead us to a better quality of life.