--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is only when you start to choose…" description: "\"“It is only when you start to choose . . . do you have a choice.”\" — David W Earle LPC" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/david-w-earle-lpc-2-71729_choice_it-is-only-when-you-start-to-choose-do-y_2254660.jpg" --- # It is only when you start to choose . . . do you have a… ![“It is only when you start to choose . . . do you have a choice.” quote by David W Earle LPC](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/david-w-earle-lpc-2-71729_choice_it-is-only-when-you-start-to-choose-do-y_2254660.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/david-w-earle-lpc-2-71729_choice_it-is-only-when-you-start-to-choose-do-y_2254660.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/david-w-earle-lpc-2-71729_choice_it-is-only-when-you-start-to-choose-do-y_2254660.jpg) > ““It is only when you start to choose . . . do you have a choice.”” David W Earle LPC ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choice emerges only when we actively decide, highlighting agency in decision‑making. **In simple terms:** You must decide to have a choice. Key Takeaway Embrace decision‑making, don’t wait for options to appear. Themes choice agency decision‑making Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career crossroads - personal relationships - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts free will personal responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What decisions are you postponing? - How does recognizing agency change your actions? A Different Perspective Some choices may be constrained by external factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ## Related quotes > [Each new day is an opportunity to start over again and to choose a new life for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/each-new-day-is-an-opportunity-to-start-over-again-and-to-choose-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is for you to choose. Choice is man's right, and for that I leave you free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-stewart/it-is-for-you-to-choose-choice-is-man-s-right-and-for-that-i-leave/) [Mary Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-stewart/) > [Anywhere, anytime ordinary people are given the chance to choose, the choice is the same: freedom, not tyranny; democracy, not dictatorship; the rule of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/anywhere-anytime-ordinary-people-are-given-the-chance-to-choose-the/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [“I choose because I can.. I have options in life and the ability to choose, but that choice determines my future, the next. However…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chantel-smith/i-choose-because-i-can-i-have-options-in-life-and-the-ability-to/) Chantel Smith > [If you don't do the choosing, life will choose for you, and it may not be the choice you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anthony/if-you-don-t-do-the-choosing-life-will-choose-for-you-and-it-may-not/) [Robert Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anthony/) > [“When faced with two equally tough choices, most people choose the third choice: to not choose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/when-faced-with-two-equally-tough-choices-most-people-choose-the/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [We are doomed to choose, and every choice may entail an irreparable loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-berlin/we-are-doomed-to-choose-and-every-choice-may-entail-an-irreparable/) [Isaiah Berlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-berlin/) > [So I would choose to be with you, That's if the choice were mine to make, But you can make decisions too, And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/so-i-would-choose-to-be-with-you-that-s-if-the-choice-were-mine-to/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [Whatever you choose, your choice will mean there are two new worlds. And perhaps sometimes, on the edge of sleep, we will see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/whatever-you-choose-your-choice-will-mean-there-are-two-new-worlds/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Some decisions are hard, some are easy, but either way it's our choices that matter. Who we chose to align with. What we choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-whitney/some-decisions-are-hard-some-are-easy-but-either-way-it-s-our-choices/) [Daisy Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-whitney/) > [A person's looking for a simple truth to live by, there it is. CHOICE. To refuse to passively accept what we've been handed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/a-person-s-looking-for-a-simple-truth-to-live-by-there-it-is-choice/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Choose well. Your choice is brief, and yet endless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/choose-well-your-choice-is-brief-and-yet-endless/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“To choose not to choose is still a choice for which you alone are responsible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cox/to-choose-not-to-choose-is-still-a-choice-for-which-you-alone-are/) Gary Cox > [“You’re not asking me to choose you. There’s no choice about it. It’s always been you. Your father once told me that we always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-darhower/you-re-not-asking-me-to-choose-you-there-s-no-choice-about-it-it-s/) [J.M. Darhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-darhower/) > [You are what you choose when you have no choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mee/you-are-what-you-choose-when-you-have-no-choice/) [Mee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mee/) ## More by David W Earle LPC > [“If you don’t speak it out, you’ll then act it out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-2/if-you-don-t-speak-it-out-you-ll-then-act-it-out/) David W Earle LPC > [“To de-escalate a potential conflict, one method is to take a step backwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-2/to-de-escalate-a-potential-conflict-one-method-is-to-take-a-step/) David W Earle LPC > [“Emotionally drunk people stuck in absolutism decreases communication and understanding and creates polarization. . . a recipe for disaster”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-2/emotionally-drunk-people-stuck-in-absolutism-decreases-communication/) David W Earle LPC Explore all 4 David W Earle LPC quotes ## More Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) Randy C. Dockens > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is only when you start to choose . . . do you have a choice.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David W Earle LPC" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-2/it-is-only-when-you-start-to-choose-do-you-have-a-choice/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-2/it-is-only-when-you-start-to-choose-do-you-have-a-choice/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/david-w-earle-lpc-2-71729_choice_it-is-only-when-you-start-to-choose-do-y_2254660.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/david-w-earle-lpc-2-71729_choice_it-is-only-when-you-start-to-choose-do-y_2254660.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/david-w-earle-lpc-2-71729_choice_it-is-only-when-you-start-to-choose-do-y_2254660.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is only when you start to choose . . . do you have a choice.” — David W Earle LPC", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David W Earle LPC", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-2/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is only when you start...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-2/it-is-only-when-you-start-to-choose-do-you-have-a-choice/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-2/it-is-only-when-you-start-to-choose-do-you-have-a-choice/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```