Choices

I have been thinking lately, what drives some of us to make certain choices? Should I wake up at eight or nine? Blue shirt or black? Cereal or bread? No! Not these kinds of choices, real ones. Like, should I date ''the cash'' or ''family guy''? A house or a car? Masters or kids? The kind of choices that make a real difference. Not that the color of shirt you choose to wear doesn't make a difference...on your attitude for a given time i.e. But really, the choices we make that leave us sleepless at night, ones that push on the edge and at times make us lose friends. What really gives us that oomph? And how do we keep going even when the paths we've taken look bleak?