Your Life is a Series of Your Choices
Consider this: Everything that has happened to you is a reflection of the results of the series of choices you have ever made. From the minute to the monumental, from the insignificant to the important, your choices have brought you right to this very moment in your life.
Seeing things from this perspective, you can see that your choices matter–and that gives you the opportunity to accept the situations that you experience and to decide the future you want.
In a study, people who said they had experienced major disappointments in the outcomes of their lives were 14 percent less likely to dwell on those disappointments when they viewed the outcome as a reflection of their choices and not something they were powerless over. (Robinson-Rowe, 2002)
I bring this up for your consideration as this year comes to a close and we are about to begin a New Year.
I don’t know about you, but this time is a reflective time for me, in which I examine the choices I have made throughout the year and the results of each of them:
- Did each one bring me closer to what I wanted to achieve, create, experience, and manifest–or did each one pull me in a different direction and place me on a different path?
- Why did I make some of those choices and not others?
- Why, in some cases, did I choose not to do anything, not to take any action? Even not making a choice is still making a choice.
When I’m conducting a Tarot consultation for my clients, one of the things I am adamant about is that the session is designed for the client to receive information that will empower him or her to make choices regarding the situation being examined.
The ability to make choices is one of the most powerful gifts we have. Think about the freedom you have to choose the direction you want your life to take. How wonderful is that?
You have the ability to shape your future right here, right now. You just have to be willing to make the choices that support and align with that future you want to experience.
I invite you to consider asking yourself this question, when you are making a decision: “Are my choices moving me closer–or farther away–from what I say I want?”
Sometimes we get caught up in whether the choices we have made have been the right or the wrong ones, and we make that determination based on how things turn out in the end.
If you stop for a moment and consider what you learned as the result of making those choices rather than basing things on appearances (how they turned out), you might realize, in the grander scheme of things, there really is no such thing as a bad or wrong choice.
Your partner in having the freedom to choose,
James
Reference:
Robinson-Rowe, M. (2002). Meaning and satisfaction in the lives of midlife, never-married heterosexual women. Ph.D. dissertation, Alliant International University.
Cassie
November 12, 2014 at 11:19 pmHey James!
Love this post. I think this is absolutely true. Where you are today has everything to do with the choices you made yesterday.
However, I think it’s also important to know/remember that everything that happens around/to you is not your fault. For example genetic conditions. If you’re born with something, how can that be a choice? And a lot of people struggle with genetic conditions. It’s also important in some cases not to too heavily dwell on the choices that led to certain situations such as abuse.
I know that this post has a more positive sort of feel to it, but I thought that was important to bring up.
I also agree, that if’s and should’ve’s should be avoided. Although, when patterns arise it can be good to look at the past to change the situation. So, basically, it’s a complicated subject.
I know, I’m just being annoying/difficult now. Would you expect anything different from me?
Anyways, I hope you’re having a good day and see you soon! (Next month is soon, right?)
Cassie recently posted..20 Writing Tips to Kick Ass at NaNoWriMo
James
November 13, 2014 at 9:20 pmHey, Cassie!
So glad the post resonated with you.
I think you make a valid point in the case of genetic conditions. I know people who fall into one of two camps when it comes to this idea of choice and genetic conditions: In one camp, there will be people like yourself, who believe it’s not a choice; and in the other camp, there are people who believe it’s a choice made prior to coming into physical form for the sake of learning from the experience for soul growth. So, I think it’s just a matter of the camp you want to pitch your tent.
Having said that, I do think, no matter where you pitch your tent, it’s really a matter of the choices you make after the realization of the condition. Do you choose to treat it—or not? If so, do you choose a particular approach over another? Choices coming from those questions take you down a certain path, and it’s very empowering to choose to take responsibility for every step you make and take within that situation.
And I don’t think you’re being annoying; discussions such as this benefit from sharing all possible perspectives.
I look forward to seeing you soon and further sharing our thoughts on this—or anything else on your mind…
My best to you,
James