It is, unfortunately, true that life can be something of a lottery. Your ZIP code is one heck a strong determinant of whether you will graduate high school, go to college, stay out of jail, get and stay married, and live a long and healthy life. Plenty of other factors like this shape the way things go for you, and even good choices can't fix them. Most of us can agree that those of us born in a less fortunate situation probably shouldn't have to do absolutely everything right to make it from a particular beginning. Meanwhile, it's undoubtedly not fair that those of us born in a more fortunate situation get to make more mistakes without losing everything.

The game is unfair, but this doesn't mean things have to go horribly for those who find the deck stacked against them. Humans have free will, and while we don't all get to choose from the same menu of choices in life, it's very rare that we end up with just a single option. We can all make good - and bad - choices that make our situation better or worse. Indeed, even the very fortunate can squander their headstart if they really do mess up consistently. That's why it is wise to accept the things we cannot change, make good choices, and try to come out ahead as best we can - and maybe that way we can help put a fewer easier and better decisions in front of our children than we enjoyed for ourselves.

Let's see if your choices both large and small are directing you down the best possible path for you!