Death and Choices: The Real Two Certainties in Life

I learned something at church this week that really stuck with me — so much so that I keep replaying it in my mind.

We’ve all heard the saying, “There are two certainties in life: death and taxes.”
But this week, I heard a different version that completely shifted my perspective:
“The only two certainties in life are death and choices.”

That one hit me hard.

Think about it — taxes aren’t truly guaranteed. Sure, not paying them comes with consequences (and a very unhappy IRS), but it’s still a choice. On the other hand, death is the one thing we truly can’t control. Everything else? It’s a series of choices — big and small — that shape who we are and how we live.

I’ve come to realize that what defines us most isn’t what happens to us, but the choices we make in response.

Every day, we’re faced with hundreds of choices. Some are simple — what to eat, what to listen to, whether to work out or hit snooze again (I’m guilty of that one). Others are harder — which bills to pay with limited funds, how to raise our kids, how to treat the people around us.

We choose whether to be positive or negative.
We choose kindness over anger, gratitude over envy, and faith over fear.
And even when life feels impossible, we still have the power to choose how we see it.

We can’t control death — when our time comes, it comes. But we can control how we live before that day arrives.

For me, that means choosing to see life as a gift from God, even when it doesn’t feel like one. I’ll be honest — my life is far from perfect. There are days (okay, multiple times a day) when I call it terrible. But then I catch myself and make a choice: I choose to turn that frown into a smile.

I choose to believe that my struggles can serve a purpose.
I choose to see my life as a gift, even when it’s messy.
I choose to walk a path of faith and, hopefully, be a small beacon of hope for someone else.

You don’t have to be a superstar to make a difference.
You don’t need millions of followers to be an influencer.

All you need is the courage to make a choice — to live the best life you can, to be kind, to be grateful, and to see every day as another opportunity to do good.

Because at the end of the day, life isn’t just about how long you live — it’s about the choices you make while you’re still here.

 Your Turn:
What’s one choice you can make today to bring more light into your life or someone else’s? Share it in the comments below — and remember, you always have a choice to be the reason someone smiles today.