Every decision you make can be made in a way that you are “choosing life.” How do you treat your family on a daily basis? How do you treat your friends, strangers, and animals? How do you spend your money? What do you do with your free time? What do you spend your time thinking about? What kind of advice do you give to others? Do you think about what you say before you say it? These are all choices you make that can be done in a way that produces a full, meaningful life, not merely a life of “existence.”

Sometimes, because of hurtful, traumatic, or stressful situations that you have gone through (or are currently dealing with), you may find yourself in a state of living, but not really alive. Depression and complacency may grab a hold of you and affect your attitude and outlook on the future. Or, sometimes it’s just your day-to-day living or your daily habits that are leading you away from “choosing life.” This Torah portion implores you: Choose life. It is a decision that can be made, no matter the circumstances.

What does it mean to choose life? Think about the decisions you make throughout the day. Do those decisions produce life? Do those decisions bring about the best in the situation? Will those decisions impact the future positively?

Every day, there is something to be thankful for, something to live for. God chose for you to have life this day; rejoice and be glad in Him. So go ahead and choose life.