Choices vs decisions

I had an interesting conversation during my meeting with a DLU representative today that sparked some food for my brain. I thought it would be nice to share it to the world (although I'm thinking most people would already know this by now) ;)

She asked me today "What is the difference between a choice and a decision?" That got me thinking, is there really a difference or are they both the same thing with different 'names' to it? I spent a good portion of the day thinking about choices and decisions we make in life. When do we use the word choice and when do we use decision?

Decisions are made after weighing up the pros and cons, researching on both of the options laid out and thinking about the consequences of choosing one option and not choosing the other. Choices on the other hand, are something that we just choose without reason, without weighing up the options. We just choose because we chose it. No other reason to it. No justifications to why we made the choice.

Then I start thinking, how do we go about our daily life making choices and decisions? Why can't we just make only decisions or only choices? What drives us to make decisions for certain situations and choices for others?

I suppose they both overlap in the end. One choice/decision will lead to another... and another.. and so on. Some, we weigh up and others we just pick just because. If we went through life making only decisions I think a lot of things would not even exist because it would take too long with too many consequences to go through with. Same goes with making only choices in life. Spontaneity only goes so far before something drastic happens and kills us.

"Then, what about when there is NO choice?" There is always a choice/decision in any form of situation. It is how we view each situation. When we begrudgingly do something just coz there is no choice, we have chosen to fight the fact that there isn't any other option BUT when we accept the situation and CHOOSE to go along with the situation without a fight, many other doors will open giving us the ability to make new decisions and choices as we go through the situation that previously had 'no other choice'.