Day-To-Day Decisions

"The character

that takes command

in moments of crucial choices

has already been determined by

a thousand other choices

made earlier in seemingly unimportant moments.

It has been determined

by all the 'little' choices of years past—

by all those times when

the voice of conscience was at war

with the voice of temptation, which was whispering

the lie that

'it really doesn't matter.'

It has been determined by all

the day-to-day decisions

made when life seemed easy and

crises seemed far away—

the decision that,

piece by piece, bit by bit, developed

habits of discipline

or of laziness;

habits of self-sacrifice

or self-indulgence;

habits of duty and honor and integrity—

or dishonor and shame."

—Ronald Reagan