The Choice
I recently read a book by Edith Eger called The Choice.
It is inspirational, powerful and well worth reading.
It got me to thinking that when you break it down life really is just a series of choices which lead to events which then determine the course of our lives.
Sometimes we choose well and get a response that we are happy with. Other times not so much.
The point is we get a choice. We get to choose.
Think about what you have already chosen today:
What time you got up
What you’re wearing
What you’ve eaten
What you’ve said to your husband/child/partner
Whether you’ve let that guy in the Holden Ute merge ahead of you or not…
Choices matter, and as we dig deeper, they impact more than just how our life unfolds, they also impact who we become.
Who we become is not measured by what we do, or how much we earn – rather it is by the ‘impact’ we have on others.
In my life, I had a choice.
My childhood and adolescence was one of neglect, abuse and suffering spanning 16 years. While dreadful, the insights and knowledge I have gained since then has been incredible.
Because of how I was raised I could either give in to the trauma I went through daily or I could find a way to make it through to the other side. What I found as a child was that I kept lifting my head and looking up to the sky. I found myself noticing the clouds, the light behind the sun and the shapes that were formed.
This took me to a magical place where I was happy and free.
Every day I would look up and notice the light, regardless of whether it was day or night. I was always drawn to it and it was always there.
As I became older and the trauma continued it became a habit.
And then as an adult it finally became a choice.
My life reflects this choice in everyday life through noticing the positive in every situation, finding the good in people and seeing what is right with the world VS what isn’t.
Living that way gives me many things – which means I get to celebrate daily. Some people think I’m crazy or unrealistic or false.
Truthfully – I’m just happy.
It works for me you see, because the other way doesn’t.
Living in lack
Being critical
Becoming negative about everything
Feeling victimised
All of this just worked together to bring me down and tear me apart.
Making that choice saved my sanity, and it saved my life.
Having the light and the angels around me constantly gave me hope and the will to continue.
So really it comes down to a matter of Choice.
Having said that, sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin,
So if this is for you – here’s a few ideas to get you started:
Wake up and feel grateful for something. It might be the warm house you live in, the puppy snoring in your face or even the wonderful sister you have. Whatever you decide – choose to feel genuinely grateful.
Then move on to seeing the good in everything today. It may be someone offers to make you a flat white or smiles at you as you open a door for them. Take the time to notice how that felt.
Be kind to others throughout the day. This has a flow on effect and can make someone feel valued who perhaps hadn’t been.
These are just words unless you do something with them. Take action and don’t be surprised if those people weren’t the only ones lifted today.
Your Choice